[VIDEO DESC & TRANSCRIPT: Clare is seated in front of a gallery wall with various photos or paintings. The NAD logo is at the bottom right corner.
CLARE: I always loved filming growing up. We used to have a huge Panasonic camera that we lugged around making music videos or ASL stories, so I always had that artistic inspiration in me. And thank God for my parents, because you know developing film was expensive… They’d give us film, I’d take random and crazy pictures, and sent them in to get developed every week. Looking back, I admit those pictures are cringe-worthy but the point is my parents encouraged artistic exploration with photography. I grew up with National Geographic magazines, I wouldn’t necessarily be reading the articles but I’d look at the pictures instead. I dreamed of becoming a travel photographer! I never thought I’d be a full-time photographer and I never thought I’d be making a living based on photography alone. It used to be a hobby! And now, photography is a living income — I work hard and I play hard at the same time!
Black and white clip of Clare photographing a client on top of a hill. In the center, a white border surrounds white text “CLARE” underneath, appears in white text “FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER.”
CLARE: My name is Clare Cassidy of Clare Cassidy Photography. I shoot a variety of weddings, children/babies, travel and vacation photography.
Black and white clip of Clare’s studio with various items, photos, and art on the walls.
CLARE: I was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan to a family of seven. Including my parents that made nine of us. Four children were hearing and three children were Deaf. It’s interesting when my parents found out that my twin sister and I were deaf when we were three years old, I already had an older brother who was Deaf too. He experienced language deprivation and honestly, the oral method wasn’t working. So for my sister and I, my parents didn’t want to go through it again — they contacted several schools for the deaf such as Indiana School for the Deaf, Kendall Demonstration School for the Deaf, and California School for the Deaf in Fremont (CSDF). CSDF replied back and before we knew it, my entire family uprooted to move to California when I was six years old. I graduated from CSDF and went to Gallaudet University briefly. Later, I transferred and graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) with a bachelor’s in Psychology and a master’s in Secondary Education (MSSE). I became a teacher for 12 years before I shifted to photography. I quit my teaching job two years ago and I’m a full-time photographer now!
Black and white close up clip of Clare’s studio walls with various photos and art.
CLARE: When I entered RIT, I majored in Psychology and English but I also minored in Photojournalism! I love pictures especially when I can tell a story through photos. That was my hobby. Eventually, I had to make a living and taught at CSDF. I also had three children. I liked teaching but I realized that I was missing the “art” part of me. The lack of art expression was suffocating me and I needed to do something about it! When I decided to quit my teaching job, I didn’t quickly jump into photography because I still felt conflicted about the career change. I decided to focus on myself and figure out what I wanted in life. I mean, at that point, I was almost 40 years old. I decided to buy a RV and travel for a year. We just finished traveling last year! For me, that journey was to figure out what I wanted — and that was to be a full-time photographer. I couldn’t imagine going back into the working world, clocking in and out kind of thing. I knew photography was it and I’m really glad I made that decision!
Black and white clip of Clare’s studio. White text appears at the bottom center, “I decided to become a full time photographer because teaching full time while doing photography on the side on top of caring for my family didn’t provide me a good enough balance. I knew photography was my passion.” Light blue text “- Clare” and a light blue line outlines the left side of the text.
CLARE: I believe I can send more powerful messages through my photos. I do more storytelling about social justice issues like families who experience oppression and language deprivation. My photos make more of an impact than when I did in a four-walled classroom.
Black and white clip of Clare flipping through a photobook.
CLARE: I start my day with a few hours doing secretarial work, which is really time-consuming! You know, communicating with clients, planning the locations, developing contracts, figuring out the dress code, and so on. I focus on secretarial work in the morning. If I’ve been photographing a lot, I also edit the photos during that time. I pretty much edit in bed! Anyway, yeah, I do a lot of editing in the mornings, basically I try to do everything that I can so I become available when my kids and husband come home.
Black and white clip of Clare walking through a meadow with two of her clients.
CLARE: Most of my photo sessions are with hearing clients that don’t even sign or even, I guess 90 percent of them have never met a deaf person before. So, what’s that like for me? It’s cool! I still get nervous and anxious before every session, it always happens regardless of how experienced I am! However, when I meet my clients, I’ve learned they’re usually more nervous than me! Usually, I have an advantage because I know how to communicate and I know how to code-switch because most of them will not know what to do. Hearing clients will be shocked at first but when I focus on their body language — (which helps your photos by the way!) I will tell them what to do, they will watch me, and we’ll connect from there. Most of the time, even after the session, we keep in touch! That kind of positive indirect exposure is important, my ability to roll with it and they’ll see a deaf person in a hearing world, capable of whatever. They’re always impressed with my pictures and the quality they receive. It blows their minds about other deaf people in a positive light!
Black and white clip of Clare showing various photos to the camera. First photo is of a person with their shirt pulled down slightly, black marker on their chest reads “don’t touch my body”. Clare shifts the photo to another one of a person with their tank top pulled down slightly, white marker on their chest reads “strength”. Clare shows another picture of a person in a hoodie with their shirt pulled down slightly with a black marker on their chest reading “vulnerable”. The last picture Clare holds up is of a child with black marker reading “anchor baby” on their chest.
CLARE: Don’t get too comfortable where you are. Always and always push yourself out of your comfort zone. When this happens, you become a better person. Changes will be more successful. You will find your passion and happiness better that way!
Black and white clip of Clare with the camera up to her eye while she gestures to her clients off screen.Video cuts to a dark blue background. Red alphabet letters of “N-A-D” in American Sign Language appear one by one in the center of the video. The copyright text appears in white underneath, “National Association of the Deaf, Copyright 2020, All Rights Reserved”.]