Today we’d like to introduce you to Sydney Cranford.
Hi Sydney, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Well, first of all… Hello! I’m so happy to be doing this. My name is Sydney, and my friends call me Syd. (I love both.)
I was born right here in Provo, Utah. Your basic Utah Mormon origin story. As a tiny bean, I spent all my time exploring outside and dancing. In 2001, right before I turned seven, my family moved out to Eagle Mountain. At this time, the place was just miles and miles of dirt with a new home here and there. The rest of my childhood and adolescence was spent in Eagle Mountain, going to school, playing with friends, and dancing as much as possible. I was participating in my school dance companies every year and attending dance classes multiple times a week. Up until 2011, I was dedicating myself completely to dance because I genuinely wanted it to be my career. Dance was the dream.
I graduated from Westlake High School in 2011, eager to get out of the world of deadlines, early mornings, and endless exhaustion. So, like every other high school graduate who has no idea what the hell they want to do, I decided to take a year off and get a customer service job. Having this break from school and dancing quickly helped me realize how much anxiety and insecurity dance was bringing into my life. Unfortunately, this is when my dance dream died.
During my year off I worked at Old Navy and Red Mango to save money and spent way too much time with my boyfriend. I quickly became bored of Utah County because all my friends were living it up at university. So, in 2012 I enrolled at Snow College with some close friends and we all moved to Ephraim. It was as cheap as college got in Utah and I desperately needed a change. Even though it only lasted a semester and a half, my time at Snow was absolutely “the college experience” I wanted. After a “monumental” LDS General Conference in October 2012, I unexpectedly became convinced God wanted me to serve a church mission (something I NEVER wanted to do). Because “God said so,” April 2013 I left on a full-time LDS mission to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and returned October 2014. My mission was hands-down the most difficult thing I’ve ever experienced. For me, being a missionary was humbling, draining, suppressive, and traumatic. However, living in Mongolia and becoming acquainted with the Mongolian people and their culture taught me some of the most important lessons I will ever learn.
By January 2015, I was engaged to my childhood best friend and attending Brigham Young University. And, by May 2015 we were married! The Mormon dream. From 2015 to 2017 I was studying Political Science and History at BYU. While attending BYU I worked at a nearby grocery store and home builder office. I also worked as my younger brother’s respite caregiver–a job and privilege I had since turning 16 years old. After completing my favorite course of all time, a philosophy course titled “Western Political Heritage 2,” I became a teaching and research assistant for Professor Ryan Davis. Honestly, this stage was one of the most influential of my life. My time learning from and working for Professor Davis taught me to critically think, express my mind, cultivate my own belief system, and live authentically. Through that course and my employment, I absolutely fell in love with political philosophy and studying theory; I read it constantly. This begun the end of my belief and membership in the LDS Church. And, the start of finding myself and my voice.
A random and relevant fact about me is that I have always been obsessed with taking picture of anything and everything. But I never ended up buying myself a professional camera because it was just “too pricey” to justify using just for fun. In 2016 my partner gifted me my first DSLR camera for Christmas. I was ecstatic. But I still wasn’t motivated enough to go out and photograph. So, I would typically only use it for special events and traveling. Not until my partner and I went to visit Malaysia in 2017 (where my partner served a full-time LDS mission) did my passion for photography ignite. I was taking pictures of everything, obviously… It’s MALAYSIA! I could not stop. I took so many photos, it’s ridiculous. And, they were alright! I remember one night in Malaysia, I talked to my partner for hours about loving photography and wishing so bad I could do it as a career. Like the true supporter and partner, he is, he told me over and over that, I could definitely succeed at being a photographer. I thought, “Yeah, these picture I’m taking are good. But, not that good. No way. Plus, who the hell am I to say I am talented at photography?” Thank you, imposter syndrome and self-doubt.
During this same time, my partner and I had finally escaped Utah County and fled to… Salt Lake City! A couple of months into living in Salt Lake my partner and I were both amidst a total faith and existential crisis. Our experiences lead us both swiftly out of the Mormon Church by the end of that year. Since I no longer believed the church was true, I knew my time at BYU couldn’t last long. The BYU Honor Code literally requires its member students to pay a full tithing and attend church weekly. And, I definitely wasn’t doing either of those things. Plus, I hated it there now. I was in the middle of my Fall 2017 semester and it was torturing me. By October my mental health was suffering to the point that I had to drop all my classes mid-semester to take care of myself. I tried to return the next semester, Winter 2018 and made it one day. At this point, I just desperately needed a break. And, there was no way I could graduate from BYU. So, I dropped out of college and worked on my brain.
I was having the best time being free of university life and the pressures that came with it. I spent my time working at Onyx Pole & Aerial Studio and then Beans & Brews. Since I wasn’t Mormon anymore, I could finally fulfill my mini dream of being a barista. (That is how faithfully Mormon I was… I literally thought I couldn’t work at a coffee shop without being taken by Satan’s temptations. No joke.) Being a barista was so liberating for my little post-Mormonism heart. But, as I experienced with every single job I had before, after six months I was burnt out. Despite my love for being a barista, I could not shake how much I hated having a job. So, I decided to finally nail down why I despised it so much no matter the job. I quickly came to terms with the fact that my mental health significantly affects my capacity and outlook on working. Due to my suffering with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Major Depression, I struggle with consistent time obligations and workplace expectations. And damn it, I HATE authority. What can I say, I am a punk at heart. So, this time, I finally came to terms with that. I needed to try something completely different. Photography was the perfect path to accomplish that because I would be self-employed.
Since I finally had some time off of college, I started exploring my interest in photography with friends. As I took pictures of people, I paid close attention to how I was feeling. I was consistently happy and fulfilled. I loved that I could work closely with individuals or small groups of people, connect with humans different than me, be my own boss, and do something creative. My partner saw this developing and surprised me with a trip to Iceland. He thought it would be the perfect place and opportunity to delve into my passion further because it’s literally perfect there. Again, photography interest confirmed! We rented a cheap, tiny car to sleep in and drove around the entire island, exploring and photographing for ten days straight. Best adventure of my life, straight-up.
By September 2018, I had photographed my first wedding. I was on a roll! Then one day, my favorite well-known Utah photographer and biggest inspiration, Jessica Janae posted on Instagram about opening up a couple of mentorship spots. I knew I had to do it. So, I impulsively messaged her and booked a session. I was going to use this mentorship to see if this was what I wanted to do as a career. Did I really want to quit my job to be a freelance photographer? February 2019, I had my mentorship with Jessica and it was the most wonderful and life-changing experience ever. Yet another human who completely changed my life. Jessica helped me recognize the tools I was missing and have the courage to do something I had no idea if I was good enough to do. Her mentorship finally gave me the push and confidence I needed to start my business and quit that barista job.
After the mentorship with Jessica, I scheduled as many creative portrait sessions as people who would model for me. I photographed anyone who would let me. The rest of 2019 I continued learning as much as I could through YouTube and booking as many photoshoots as possible. And, I loved every second of it. I quickly developed a passion for portraiture. I loved connecting intimately with one (or two) people and spending a couple of hours getting to know and capturing them and their stories. At this point, I was living a dream I never knew I had, and it rocked!
At the beginning of 2020, I started photographing boudoir portraits, something I always wanted to try. One session and I was completely hooked. I am always honored to be hired for boudoir portraits because it is (of course) extremely vulnerable for the client. But every single time it ends up being so fun and affirming for them. If you have the right photographer, boudoir can be one of the most liberating and euphoric experiences. Whether through boudoir or regular portraiture, I adore helping others recognize how beautiful they are! I am constantly thrilled I get to provide that for people.
By April 2020, after COVID-19 had completely changed the world, I decided to return to school for summer semester. I knew the remote learning requirement would be really convenient and beneficial for my situation. And, I only had three semesters left! I returned to college Summer 2020 at the University of Utah. I took as many photography courses as I possibly could in three semesters. Through those courses, I absolutely fell in love with photography as an art medium. I learned to express myself artistically with photography, which was something I hadn’t experienced since I quit dancing. Dance gave me an avenue to express my inner self, and I hadn’t had it for years. As cheesy as it sounds, studying photography in this way filled the dance-shaped hole in my heart. I want to specifically mention Jaclyn Wright, one of my most cherished mentors. Jaclyn taught me how to articulate my feelings and convey concepts through art and be a technically excellent photographer. After working closely with Jaclyn and completing multiple technical courses, I finally developed the firm confidence in myself and my skill I needed to run a successful business.
In May 2021 I graduated with my Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. It took me almost 10 years, but I finally accomplished my childhood goal to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree. HALLELUJAH! Then, by June I was completely shocked to have my artwork, titled “Exmormons; Estranged,” chosen for the Pride Story Garden at the 2021 Utah Pride Festival. Last year was my first pride out as queer and I celebrated it by seeing my very own art featured in the Pride Festival. That’s a core memory right there. I am looking forward to continuing this specific project as more Exmormon friends, family, and strangers desire to share their stories with me. Outside of giving me a path to express myself, art allowed me to connect with my Exmormon and Queer community in a unique way that I hold very dear.
Last summer ANOTHER huge dream of mine came to fruition. Through a close friend, I was introduced to the local band, Savage Daughters. My friend’s partner, the band’s drummer asked if I wanted to photograph their next show downtown at The DLC in Quarters Arcade Bar. I was floored and instantly responded “Yes!” Since then, I became the band photographer, photographed all of their shows, and joined them at Treefort Music Fest in Boise, Idaho. From this experience, I developed a huge passion for live music photography. Growing up a dancer made me a music-lover. You can always catch me listening to some form of music. Therefore, not surprisingly, I am also a huge concert lover. Live music was a world that I always longed to be a part of but never knew how. My photography skill finally gave me that opening into the music world. Legitimately every day I feel lucky that I get to enjoy rad music and create my own art while doing it. It’s insanity.
That brings me to life now. Tragically, December 2021 my younger brother, Michael passed away at 27 years old. To be honest, since then life has been a total blur. Frankly, no one prepares you to experience the grief of losing your only sibling, especially not after losing your faith. But, thanks to my wonderful therapist and consistent self-work, life is returning to a flow. I am eager to use this pain and explore grief and death in an upcoming art project.
Today, on any regular day you would find me photographing portraits, couples, editorials, and live music, editing images, creating art, or hanging out with my two cats. My partner and I are moving back to the city in August, and I cannot wait. I am SO excited to be back in the city, close to the beautiful photography studios, live music, and cool people. My summer 2022 will be spent enjoying and photographing as many live shows as I possibly can and getting my website up and running. And of course, working with all my lovely clients. When I look at where I am today, all I can think is how proud of myself I am. What a journey. All I can say is… Believe in yourself, because you’re pretty great!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, I definitely wouldn’t describe the road as “smooth.” However, I absolutely have privileges that make it much smoother than it would be otherwise. The biggest struggle and roadblock for me has always been my mental health. The only way I know to describe it is that, my dreams and goals often extend much farther than my capacity. And, that is extremely frustrating. Working through the frustration, exhaustion, and self-doubt that comes with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Major Depression is a consistent struggle. But I am incredibly grateful to have the support of my partner, an empathetic therapist, and friends who understand. Like so many artists and small business owners often say, the biggest thing in your way is yourself.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Professionally, I am hired primarily for portraits. But that includes all types of portraits: boudoir, branding, celebratory, creative, couples, editorial, and fashion. I find great pride in my ability to connect with my subjects and capture an authentic image of them. The galleries I deliver usually include candid images, classic portraits, and a variety of creative and experimental shots. If you book with me, be prepared to have a damn good time and get a bunch of cute, unique pictures of yourself out of it! What I love most is hanging out with my clients, creating a safe and fun environment, making art together, and then delivering a beautiful gallery at the end. I truly want the whole experience to be laid back, collaborative, and enjoyable for all of us, and it shows in my work. When my clients look at their galleries I genuinely want them to feel the best they ever have about themselves.
Artistically, my work has centered around my experience with the Mormon Church, depression, identity, and queerness. In my project about the Mormon Church, I am listening to, validating, and collaborating with fellow Exmormons in my community. I work with them to create one image they feel accurately represents their Exmormon experience. In the end, they can choose to share, stay anonymous, or both. By far, this has been my most fulfilling art pursuit. In my project exploring depression titled “Episodic Delusions,” I am interested in contemplating and showing how the lens of mental illness distorts my reality. So far this has included still life photography, abstract imagery, and physical art installations. Lastly, concerning identity and queerness, these two themes are interwoven in all my work since I am queer. Specifically, “Exmormons; Estranged” has heavy queer themes throughout it since most of my community now is queer. Honestly, I look forward to exploring ALL of these concepts through art for as long as I can.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
The qualities most important to my success are absolutely my goofy personality and genuine love for other humans. My loud and silly demeanor is extremely useful as a photographer. By joking around and being my wild self, I am usually able to make people feel at ease very quick. Hello, photography tip! If someone is uncomfortable in front of your camera, just make a fool of yourself! I’m telling you; your subject will instantly feel either way more confident about themselves or much more relaxed. I have a deep love for connecting with other humans, similar to me or not. I know my clients feel that when we are interacting before the session and while being photographed because connecting with them honestly makes me pumped. I mean, who wants to have their picture taken by someone who doesn’t want to talk to them or doesn’t enjoy being there? No one, obviously. My love for meeting new people and ability to help others feel at ease have both been crucial to my success as a photographer and an artist.
Pricing:
- $300: 30-45 mins & 10-15 images
- $350: 1 hr & 20-25 images
- $400: 60-90 mins & 30-40 images
- $450: 90 mins & 50-60 images
- $500: 2 hrs & 65+ images
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sydneylynnphotography.pic-time.com/client
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sydneylynncranford
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sydneylynnphotography
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sydlynncranford
Image Credits
Marina Williams Photography
@sydneylynncranford
