Suzi Darsa’s photo ’53 Years Married’ has popped up on screens from Euston station to Westfield shopping centre in west London.
The former PR executive scooped a national award after switching careers and enrolling on a photography course as a mature student.
She entered her photograph of longstanding couple Judith and Ged in the Portrait of Britain Vol 8 awards and it was one of 100 images displayed on digital screens in high streets, rail stations and public spaces.
Suzi was happy that the lighting, composition and intimacy came together as she captured the photo in the couple’s home.
“We had beautiful light shining into the bedroom on a sunny day while, with Judith looking directly at the camera and Ged cuddling up to her, you can see they are blissfully happy together,” she said.
The competition, run by British Journal of Photography, celebrates the diversity of contemporary Britain through portraits of people with a range of backgrounds.
The colour portrait of Judith and Ged, which formed part of her MA project at Middlesex University in Hendon, will also appear in a book titled Portrait of Britain Volume 8.
Suzi worked for two decades in PR for charity and arts organisations, but started working as a professional photographer five years ago snapping portraits of families and dogs.
And she has just exhibited 21 black and white portraits of older people at Middlesex University – which were part of her MA project ‘Lessons in Love’.
She added: “My ambition on completing my MA was to see my work on a billboard and published in a book. To have all that, and an exhibition, happen at once has been amazing.”
Another image of a Middlesex University student is due to appear in a photography book titled, ‘Do You Like Love?’ published by Shutter Hub later this year.
Both of Suzi’s university projects focused on romantic love: The Triangular Theory of Love was a portfolio of colour photos of people in their own home, while Lessons in Love was supported by Age UK Camden with Suzi photographing her subjects in a pop-up studio in one of the charity’s shops.
She interviewed her subjects and asked them to reflect on their love lives to explore the experiences and nature of love of people over 60.
She said the university course was a “game changer” in improving her technical skills and use of professional equipment and she now wants to work as a social issues documentary photographer, with more charities and community organisations.
“I want to tell social stories in a sympathetic and visually sensitive way. I feel strongly about helping people, and if I can use my photography skills to do that, then all the hard work will have been worth it,” she said.
