USING CAMERAS TO CONNECT WITH HER “FELLOW HUMANS,” A MONTCLAIR BASED
PHOTOGRAPHER HAS TRAVERSED THE GLOBE CAPTURING THE HAVES AND HAVE NOTS
BY LAURA D.C. KOLNOSKI
Whether training her lens on musicians, actors, dancers, or private citizens, for professional fine art photographer Suzanne Kulperger, each encounter is a deeply personal experience to be cultivated and savored.
The dual American/Canadian citizen, born in Toronto, has traveled the world working with the likes of gospel great Mavis Staples, singer Brian Knight, John Oates of Hall & Oates fame, and 22-time Grammy Award winner Chick Corea. London, Rome, Milan, and Dublin have all served as backdrops. Paramount Pictures, HBO, and Showtime populate her client list. “My camera is like a magical passport to connecting with strangers, creating community, learning the vibe of a place, exploring,” said Kulperger, who has also worked in film and television as a production and personal assistant. Initially a hobbyist, in her late teens Kulperger took a summer portrait photography course and loved taking photos at gigs andon sets.
When her work got noticed, she was encouraged to go professional. Soon, “I was booking enough to realize I could do this for a living.” The next evolution was shooting “outside-thebox, deeply soulful, fine art portraiture.” Confidentially prevents Kulperger from revealing the bold face names she has photographed during glittering events, private couple shoots, fine art nudes, and family photos. One was “an incredible rapper” who wanted to commemorate the death of his best friend in “an intensely emotional and raw session.” “It is about capturing a special, once-in-a-lifetime moment and making it into a work of art,” explained Kulperger, who grew up in western New York, Manhattan, and Toronto, and regularly visits her Cape May retreat for rejuvenation (more on that later). For her current passion project, she seeks out “intriguing” individuals, many homeless, and asks permission to photograph them.
“I’m continuously surprised by how many people are open and excited to have a street portrait done,” Kulperger said. She iscompiling those works into a forthcoming book, The Seen Project. “These interactions are among the most beautiful I have had, resulting in some of my most moving portraits.”
