Sue Culig was born in Buffalo, NY in 1964. She began painting and drawing at the age of 7. Always looking for new avenues in which to express her creativity, Sue discovered photography in the early 80's while studying Graphic Design at Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York. After experimenting with various mediums, photography brought an instant sense of gratification. A finished piece through the process of clicking, developing and printing held tremendous appeal. "When I painted, I never felt as though my work was finished. With photography it is very definitive. The shot is either there or not. I love that most about the medium."
Travel is one of Sue's passions as well. "When I'm on the road, whether in this country or abroad, I feel a unique and beautiful sense of freedom. There is no greater education than traveling and experiencing other cultures." After a trip to Israel in 1985, Sue became completely captivated with photography which led her to pursue a dual major at Pratt. She graduated on the President's list in 1987 with a BFA in Graphic Design and a Thesis in Photography.
After studying, living and working in NYC for almost 8 years, Sue moved to Maine to work for the Maine Photographic Workshops. In 1991, she stumbled upon the digital world at Kodak's premier school for Digital Technology, The Center for Creative Imaging.
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"Computers just became another tool. The digital realm offers the luxury of working without chemicals. After working in traditional lab settings for many years, the digital process is literally a breath of fresh air." After study at CCI for almost a year, Sue moved to the Bay Area where since 1992 she has been teaching as well as running a successful freelance design business.
Sue is a descendant of Croatian parents. Her father, Anton, fled Croatia post WWII for Canada in 1946. A short time later, he met and married Mary Morog, a first generation American, living in Buffalo, NY. In 1988, Sue embarked on her first journey to her homeland, then the former Yugoslavia. "It felt imperative for me to explore my ancestry. My visits there have changed me profoundly. (see Croatia) Meeting my extended family was beyond words. The people are beautiful, simple, and generous. It is an amazing place, despite it's war torn reputation. I take great pride in my heritage." Sue returns to Croatia frequently. In 1994, she worked in the refugee camps with an organization called Give Peace a Dance. Those photos can be found under Special Projects.
"Photography is my passion, an expression of how I experience the world. What's important to me is that my work touches people, that they feel a deep connection with my squares or rectangles."
Sue currently is based in Oakland, CA and Germany. She travels extensively and photographs in her free time, availing herself for editorial assignments, both animal and human portraits as well as weddings.
CAMERAS: Digital collection includes the Canon 5D, 10D SLR's with a Pentax for macro and underwater pics. When shooting film is in order, Sue uses range finders; a Leica M2 that is a year older than herself, as well as a Mamiya 7II 6x7 medium format camera. Although she prefers natural light, when the situation demands more, Sue uses fill lighting and dedicated flash.
COMPUTER: Mac G5 with dual monitors for optimum color viewing, as well as the Canon and Epson desktop printers which produce professional quality prints. Sue also produces archival, museum quality b&w prints on a converted Epson 3000.
NOTICE: All images on this site are property of Sue Culig and cannot to be downloaded, duplicated or reproduced
in any format without written consent. Please do not alter or duplicate in any fashion. |
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All images copyright Sue Culig, 2008. All rights reserved.
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