Creating Art with Film By Jennifer Lesinski

There aren't very many family photographs of Suna Lee taken at various birthdays, anniversaries, or other get-togethers. It's not that she is camera shy. She's just usually the one with the camera. Lee has been a professional photographer for more than 20 years, which her family takes complete advantage of when it comes to capturing their own special moments.

"I'm always expected to take pictures; that's why I'm not in any," Lee said. "As a professional, I still see the angles, the lines."

It is Lee's dedication to creating art rather than simply recording moments that has made her a four-peat winner at the Virginia Professional Photographers Association and the 17-state South East Professional Photographers Association. Both competitions were held in March. Lee was also honored with the Kodak Gallery Award this year. She has had a studio, Lee's Photography, on Old McLean Village Drive in McLean, since 1997, and before that, she spent 12 years operating in Falls Church.

As for her awards, Lee said that although winning is always fun, the prizes are not the important part of what she does. "Getting to take the journey is more important than the station once you get there," she said. "I enjoy the process as much as winning because I strive to be excellent in my craftsmanship."

Against the Grain Lee was born in Korea. Her family came to the United States when she was 17. Her decision to pursue photography didn't please her family at first, but eventually they came around.

"I'm the first [photographer] in my family. In Asia, in my generation, photography wasn't a popular art form, not like opera or painting," the Annandale resident said. "My father wasn't sure [it was a good idea] when I told him I wanted to study photography. I'm glad my father was more open to the idea rather than being demanding."

Lee became a shutter-bug at college in Indiana. As a fine-arts major, she was required to study photography her sophomore year. She because attracted to film because it can be record-keeping and elusive at the same time, she said. She was attracted to being able to create art by manipulating the light. Lee also enjoyed featuring people in her work, which led to her focusing on portrait photography as a profession.

"I was always into people," Lee said. "When I was studying, I was always pulling models out."

Over time, Lee has become known for her portraits of women, which to her is only logical. She said being a woman makes it easier to capture intimate images of women because there is an emotional bond. "I had a client who was a woman who had breast cancer. She had been married to her husband for a long time. She was middle-aged and low on self-esteem," Lee said. "I can't imagine a man would understand what that's like. I think we're different. I see portraits as not only defining beauty but creating an image that fills a need.

"I can use lighting to show face structure, to slim certain areas or make other portions fuller. We are have portions we want fuller. I paint with light, not with a brush," she said.

Personal Touch
Lee sets our to create an image that is a reflection of the subject. She sees her portraits as keepsakes, not pictures on a wall. For that reason, Lee always meets with a potential client for at least an hour to determine what the client wants and what might work best. She studies hand movements, personality, and home environment to get a sense of the person.

"My clients may have some idea of what they're looking for, but it might not work for them. When they bring in clips from magazines of something, it at least gives me an idea of what they want. I can work with that to make them look good," Lee said. "I'm never shy about giving them what I see working and not working."

Lee also likes sharing what she has learned with budding photographers. She is a lecturer and teaches through the International School of Photography, which takes her to various states.

Lee's work is presently on display in the Tysons Galleria and Fair Oaks Mall.