Sue Jarrett

Wild Woman

 

Jarret-web

By Rachel Rucker
Photography by Rudy Hradecky & Richard Jarret

Ever wished you could see the glaciers of Alaska, cruise the tropics of Costa Rica, see the beautiful Smoky Mountains or tour the jungles of Africa? Sue Jarrett doesn’t have to put any of these things on her bucket list because she’s done them all, and much, much more.

Mississippi-native and diehard Who Dat! Fan (New Orleans Saints), Sue is a professional photographer, whose work spans from weddings to wildlife, real estate to sporting events. A very popular wedding photographer, Sue loves to photograph weddings and, in fact, shot her first wedding while she was still in high school. “I have photographed at sunrises and sunsets, military and backyard, doggie ring bearers, arriving in a yacht or on a horse, jumpin' da broom, singing with the band, on the beach or in church, in South Carolina or another state. Weddings are fun!” she said. However, it’s easy to see that wildlife photography is also a huge part of her career that ignites a tangible sort of passion.

“About 15 or 20 years ago I was on vacation. I would see an owl or a bird go up into the Smoky Mountains, or we’d have deer walking in front of us. And I just started taking pictures; it was so much fun. Photographing wildlife is just relaxing. It’s nice to be able to relax with what you’re doing,” Sue said.

Her love of photography began to bloom when her father, a doctor in the Navy Reserves, gave her first camera to her at just eight-years-old, while they were living in Saipan, Japan. She said she immediately began to get creative with shots.

“I was putting Barbie and Ken together and I would lie down on the ground, taking pictures of them in the backyard, trying to make them look like real people. I guess that’s really what got me started in the beginning,” Sue said.

Though Sue graduated from the Hallmark Institute of Photography in Massachusetts, as well as the Harriet Sophie Newcomb Memorial College at Tulane University, most of her skills as a photographer are completely self-taught.

Not only does she have the eye for what makes a picture great, that gift is exemplified in the course of learning and experience. One of her best tips for photographing nature, in particular, wild animals, is to stay calm in all situations. “The first thing I always tell people is that if you’re walking out in a field, or on a trail and you see something like a bird, an owl, hawk, or you see a deer – stop right where you are. Take your camera out slowly and take a picture of them. People always say, ‘Oh, but I’m so far away!’ But, that’s okay. Take the picture. Then, you very slowly, walk a little closer, not straight on, at an angle. Bending down a little, stopping to relax every couple of seconds. I’ve gotten a picture fairly close, by being slow, so as not to scare the animal,” Sue said.

Sue’s road to Beaufort was one with many stops, which began when she met her husband, Richard Jarrett, who coached basketball and taught school in New Orleans. From there, they moved to Virginia, where she said her love of nature began to blossom even more. After Virginia they continued to move to Kansas, Iowa and finally to South Carolina, where they have lived for 20 years.

After Richard retired from coaching and teaching, Sue said she began to teach him more and more about photography. In fact, one of his photographs was featured in Birds & Blooms magazine.

Sue’s work, however, is far from being outshone. It’s clear how much she knows when she speaks about teaching others, giving them easy, everyday tips that are understandable to those at all levels. In fact, Sue will be teaching a Photography Wildlife class at the University of South Carolina Beaufort campus October 22nd from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. for experienced photography junkies and novices alike. Her teaching is right in line with her work—full of thought, full of light and full of fun. Sue is a ball of energy, who plans to increase her expertise to pairing a blog with her photography trips. A former newspaper photographer, she loves the idea of freelance travel writing, which is something with her skills and mindset, she will accomplish.

Her love for nature is so profound, it’s extremely contagious, making a self-professed “anti-camper” such as myself, eager to get outside and see the animals that Mother Nature has to offer. Her love of nature, though, is nothing compared to the love she has for capturing a moment in time through the lens of her camera.

 

Up Close:

Hometown: Picayune, Mississippi. Also known as “The precious coin in the purse of the South!”

Every morning I: “Get up at 6 a.m. and walk three miles.”. Guilty pleasure: “Ice cream with any kind of chocolate, but especially Moose Tracks!”

Something that makes me proud: “My father started a scholarship, now called the Rudeen Family School Spirit Scholarship, at my high-school when my mother passed away, which goes to one student every year. We continue that tradition today.”

Another word for "Cheese!": “I was photographing a wedding once where the groom was Hispanic, and didn’t understand the word ‘cheese.’ So I started using “1, 2, 3… Allegria! Which is the Spanish word for joy.”

You can see and buy some of Sue’s work at the Bluffton Arts and Seafood Festival October 18th and 19th. Learn more about Sue and view some of her work at suejarret.com.