Memories of photographing a Saint

“Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.” Mother Teresa

I was assigned to photograph Mother Teresa who was visiting her Mission Sisters of Charity in The Bronx in 1995. She was blessing everyone in her path with her hand outstretched and touching heads. While I was photographing her she reached out and touched my head while saying a prayer she had been repeating. As she headed to her car a little girl from the neighborhood stood outside her seat and Mother Teresa reached out to bless her--the girl smiled at me, a day I'm sure she will never forget.

And now Mother Teresa has been granted sainthood and I honor the moment with sharing these two photos I photographed.

Mother Teresa in front of her Bronx Mission 1995

Mother Teresa blesses a little neighborhood girl before leaving her mission in The Bronx 1995

How to be Photographed in Your Environment Part I Women in enviromental portraits

—  “A portrait is not made in the camera but on either side of it.”

— Edward Steichen

The Environmental Portrait is my favorite, as along with photographing a unique and individual personality, the style and positionsing within the chosen environment tell the story of the person.

I took This photo of Helen Gurley Brown for the cover of the  New York Times Business Section.

Susan Farley Photography  

http://susanfarley.com   2019
T
I photographed this artist for the New York Times for a story about Book Art and Book Artists, Here the subject holds a book she created and is photographed in front of the writer's cabin her husband built for her to work in.  The image tells the story of the author's book art creation with her storybook writers's cabin in the background filled with personality and uniqueness.
 I photographed this Environmental portrati of an artist in her upstate Barn turned gorgeous and spacious home for Wharton Alumni magazine.

A croquet player in this story-telling portrait I photographed for the NY Times for a story about private Croquet courts at people's homes.

 An environmental portrait of a Gyn.OB doctors in her office for a NY Times story  2019

 An environmental portrait of an Estee Lauder executive in her office for a Quinniapac U. Alumni Magaine story