Today we’d like to introduce you to Sharmaine Bouie and Walker Ferguson.
Getting to Life Retouched Photography feels like a long story, so much life happened before its creation, but we’ll save readers some time and just cover the important points! Life Retouched is the joint creation of couple and creative team Sharmaine and Walker who met in college at Hampton University. We started the photography business in 2018 after looking for ways to combine our individual photography journeys into one scalable vision. The name itself is a play on our personal styles; Walker loves capturing real unfiltered experiences while Sharmaine finds creativity in editing and post-processing. While we have very different styles and desires from the photos we take, we both see photography as being about telling stories through the lens, whether that’s our own or someone else’s.
Prior to 2020, we took on all kinds of photo projects, but the pandemic lockdown really gave us perspective since we had a whole year to sit and wait. Since then, we’ve focused our services and offerings to what we’re passionate about, which is people and portraits. We’re currently focusing our energy on engagement with creators, business owners and our local community. In 2022 the plan is to double down on what’s worked by maintaining and creating authentic relationships with people and organizations to make sure their story is being told in an honest way.
Sharmaine: Born in Jamaica Queens, NY and raised in Federal Way, WA; my interest in photography began at a young age. My dad owned a camera and my mom never shied away from posing in her fly fits (80s polaroids were truly the best). I remember going through photo albums and shoeboxes of prints in elementary, finding countless photographs of family and friends over the years from New York and Miami. I can’t recall the number of times, but I would sit and go through prints and digital images alone in my room admiring the photos, especially the ones that did not create a posed appearance. I love a good candid, it pulls you into the moment!
After purchasing my camera, I realized I was uneducated in the technicality and operations of a DSLR. I decided to teach myself the technical aspects of the camera and basic post-process editing through Lightroom and Photoshop. My photographic styles include architecture, representational landscapes, macro, street and now portrait. I started my photography journey capturing all things outdoors. It wasn’t until my sorority sister asked me to photograph her family that I decided to grow in the portrait space. The feedback received early on gave me inspiration to consider lifestyle and candid photography. Since then, I have photographed families, couples, children/babies, and milestone events! Today, I blend my love of the outdoors and natural light in all sessions, while having fun with vibrant and moody colors. My passion is to create visual content with creative entrepreneurs and capture natural authentic moments.
Walker: Originally from Seattle, WA; I’ve been living and working in Houston as a lifestyle and travel photographer for the last 6.5 years. I think my original enjoyment of photography came when I found my mom’s film camera back in elementary school. I probably wasted so many rolls of film just taking pictures of my friends in the neighborhood & during summer camps. When we started traveling as a family, I volunteered for camera duty which probably fed my enjoyment for photo taking. If anything, I really fell in love with travel photography when I spent a semester abroad in Europe during college. Since then, I try to bring my camera with me on every trip.
Unlike travel photography, my portrait work took shape in 2016 when I decided to really invest in myself and get serious about photography. I’d say my overall photography style is realistic and simple. I aim to capture real people, living their authentic life and do it in a fun yet straightforward way. When I take a photo, my goal is to remain true to the moment, to capture the essence of the person in the moment it was happening. If I can capture people and experiences in an authentic way while telling a compelling story, then I’ve done my job.
Together we are Life Retouched Photography! We truly enjoy the art of photography and the space we have to create and evolve.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
When we started Life Retouched Photography in 2018, we didn’t have the full vision of what we were building. We had been paid for individual sessions and corporate functions, but we were also doing collaborations, weddings, and everything else in between. Each time we were paid to take on a new client it felt like our focus and personal styles were also changing. One of the early challenges we had to address was overly enjoying photographing without caring about the subject or process. This lack of focus led us to take on all work that was being offered. That might seem like a good thing, but it really stretched us in ways that were not helpful to our progression as portrait photographers.
Another challenge we had when we started was increasing our network. Houston’s photography market is quite competitive and there’s a huge creative community of artists, photographers, and entrepreneurs. If you are seeking a photographer, your options are far and wide. It’s important to maintain a network and invest time engaging with the creative community and potential clients. Since we find our time and attention split between multiple priorities including, balancing our corporate careers and photography, consistency with marketing ourselves becomes a regular challenge.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Right now we’re mainly focused on growing as portrait photographers and building a bigger portfolio of lifestyle images. Portraits as a genre is great because it gives us some leeway to explore a wide variety of styles and still shoot events.
As Life Retouched is a combined vision, we want our photos to feel alive and real. We love capturing people’s emotions and authentic self. How we see our clients outside of the camera is what we try to reflect in camera. We capture people, places and things that truly inspire us. We love working with clients who are willing to try new things, who are comfortable in their skin and have a vision for what they want. For clients who are not as comfortable in front of the camera, we aim to provide a fun and safe experience that allows you to just live in the moment!
We truly enjoy what we do, and that reflects in our work. Our personalities are as vibrant and fun as our photographs can be. In our day-to-day, our professional background in Corporate includes consulting, program management, and human resources.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
Sharmaine: My favorite childhood memory is every moment spent with my cousins! We grew up together and it was always a good time when family gathered.
Contact Info:
- Email: LifeRetouched@gmail.com
- Website:www.liferetouched.com
- Instagram: https://www.
instagram.com/LifeRetouched
Image Credits
Life Retouched Photography
