Report by Marcia Walker
Tina Gue, ‘sees the people and then the light.’ She lives and works in the Bristol area as an independent, portrait and event photographer. Tina, being born and raised in Denmark, graduated in her early twenties from Fatamorgana, School of Photography in Copenhagen and went on to do an apprenticeship and work for Ragnarok Photography Agency, Copenhagen. Tina, ‘would walk in a city, hear music, follow the trial and capture the moment in peoples lives’, allowing their individuality and personality to ‘shine through’. Tina spent over 4 years in Asia and Central America with her husband Simon Gue who set up the Wheelchair Charity Motivation and she has had exhibitions in Jakarta, Cambodia and Managua. She really enjoyed Cambodia in particular learning, observing and photographing and began to immerse into the culture photographing some distinctive characters along the way. Settling in Somerset to have children she works as a portrait and wedding photographer using her journalistic style to bring out the best in every situation and in every person she meets
Her passion for photographing has recently paid tribute to 150 ‘real women’ of Bristol aged over 40 to create the brilliant ‘This is Us’ photographic exhibition, funded by Artspace Lifespace and supported by Bristol Women’s Voice. Realising that, ‘there are practically no images of middle-aged women looking like middle-aged women on social media’, Tina wanted to show the beauty of ‘aging positively and embracing life.’ The very first ‘eyes and smile’ was photographed on the 15th January 2018 and the last one was taken on 15th January 2019, exactly one year later.‘This is Us’ opens on the 2nd March at The Vestibules, Bristol City Hall, which will have a voluntary donation box and closes on the 8th March 2019 when there will also be a private viewing from 6pm to 8pm and at 7.45pm the 150 women will all at the same time take down their portraits and take them home with them. A profound ending to a new beginning of ‘women of age’ seeing themselves as beautiful, ‘just as they are.’ To contact Tina Gue please email tina@tinague.co.uk. For more information please visit Facebook using search: Tina Gue – This is Us.
