Debra hayes
photography
The beauty of reality
I want my photos to tell a story...a story that is portrayed with realism, genuine emotion and unfiltered images of appearance and age. The beauty of life comes from connecting through shared feelings of pain, loss, sadness, hope...the real emotions of life that seem to be forgotten and hidden in today's world of social media filters and the very scary need to portray oneself as perfect. The reality of life - aging, wrinkles, highs, lows, failing, succeeding, wanting more - is where true beauty lies.
biography
My photography career started in 2018, which like many phases of my life, is probably late compared to those who knew exactly what they wanted to do since birth. It wasn't that I didn't know - I have always been an artist of sorts, from drawing to music, but my path in life took many twists and turns. My creativity sprung from a mixture of experience, that would have not been existent or influential early on. The many years I spent modeling greatly shaped the way I view beauty and the relentless standards placed on women, which is why I gravitate toward photographing women forty and over. The trauma and pain I've encountered throughout life and relationships caused a voracious, soulful need to create images that are personally healing and that hopefully become tentacular vectors to connect with others who have survived darkness and pain. My current tech and healthcare industry career demands finite answers and precise analysis, all of which wonderfully parlay into the joy of learning and utilizing the many technical specs and tools of photography and lighting, to develop engaging visual stories.
Artist's statement
Debra's photographic images are born from the very real experiences that we all share. The images, although somber and melancholic, seek to depict the raw feelings that emerge from surviving dark places, as beautiful and real. Her photographic style is cinematic, narrative and environmental, seeking always to shine a floodlight on our innermost feelings and fears, with the hope to heal and inspire.