As we’ve seen from the many supported galleries around town and the hugely successful summer festivals in Allentown and Elmwood Village, it is evident that Buffalo has a thriving arts community. I recently heard that artists in Buffalo have more of an opportunity to grow and make a living off of their talents than most other places not only because of the aforementioned support, but also because our city makes art readily available for public consumption; meaning, if you want it, you can find it.
Because of this, there is no shortage of artists in this area. If you attended the Allentown Art Festival this past weekend, you know this as fact. But Buffalo just got one more artist for its roster of homegrown talent that is seeking to capture the beauty of not only the city, but its people.
Katie Ambrose grew up in Hamburg where she took her first photography class in 4th grade. She grew up watching her mom run her own hair salon. Katie had no formal training, but watched her mother closely as she styled and interacted with her clients. Little did she know, this would be the starting point to a fulfilling career as a photographer and hair & makeup artist. Katie left Western New York at the age of 17 and now, 20 years later, finds herself so deeply in love with the city she once thought she would never return to. She made a name for herself with an impressive list of celebrity clients in Los Angeles and New York City, but it’s Buffalo she’s drawn to most and is where she wants to be.
When I asked Katie about her experience, where she’s lived and how she got to where she is now, I didn’t realize my head would spin in circles trying to keep up with her life’s path. She’s lived in about a dozen cities across the country working jobs in public relations, marketing and telecommunications. Like many who were living in New York City at the time, 9/11 made her re-think her life and what she wanted to focus on. Realizing she wanted to pursue a career in photography, she cold-called magazines for work until she landed a job as a photo editor with Grace Magazine. There, she started her career in mass media, which would lead her into the television and film industry. Between jobs, Katie developed her makeup artistry at Nordstrom, where she became an expert in high-end cosmetic lines and skin care, all while doing portrait photography on the side. Through a colleague at Nordstrom–and also former WWE personality Rue Baby and member of the early ’90s all-girl group Boy Krazy–Katie landed her first major gig as head of makeup and hair on set for a new TV show. This was the break her career needed and was the official start to doing hair and makeup for, as well as photographing, hundreds of celebrity clientele, ranging from Ben Stiller to Salt-N-Pepa to CNN’s Shannon Cook.
Being a photographer and hair & makeup artist is a very unique combination and, ultimately, is what set Katie apart from others doing just one or the other. Not only is it more economical for clients to pay for one person to do all three services, but this enables her to style the entire shoot from start to finish. The end product is something that is 100% her own, which not only appeals to her from an artist’s perspective, but Katie feels serves her clients with better photographs, as they become more comfortable with one person conducting every aspect of the shoot.
“It’s not easy to be photographed,” she explains. “You have to make that person feel comfortable when you’re in their personal space. That’s when you get a great shot.”
It was when one of Katie’s closest friends, Heather Schwabl, fell very ill to cancer that brought Katie back to Buffalo. Heather, an unremitting advocate for cancer patients and lover of Buffalo, served as Katie’s inspiration for not only seeing the city in a new light nearly 20 years after she left, but also for wanting to make others feel good about themselves while living through difficult circumstances.
During her visits to the hospital, Katie would do Heather’s nails, makeup and hair. This small token, Katie said, made her friend feel like a “supermodel,” even though, underneath, Heather was in the throes of battling a deadly disease. As a result of this experience, Katie feels strongly that this is something she can give back to others and continue Heather’s fight in encouraging people coping with disease to keep living and enjoying life.
“In her honor, I want to do something for people who are suffering from illness and use my talents to help them feel good about themselves,” she says.
For Katie, it’s not only important to her to make the patient see and feel their own beauty, but also to capture that moment by taking portraits of the patients with their loved ones. These pictures become keepsakes families can cherish of that time together. Furthermore, doing this type of portraiture work is an esteemed privilege to Katie, as the patient–and their families–are allowing her into a very intimate and personal setting.
“The process of this type of shoot is very emotional and even spiritual for me,” said Katie. “I’ll always remember photographing Marcia Riccio with her family. Through my lens, I could see Marcia’s eyes well up with tears, which is the exact moment when she put her hand on her son’s face. She passed away two months later.”
Pictured from left: Buffalo firefighter Jonas Riccio, his late mother Marcia Riccio, a former 4th grade teacher at Our Lady of Sacred Heart, and his father Daniel Riccio (July 2009).
In addition to this important cause, Katie–through Heather–is feeling a stronger connection with her hometown and is looking at the city with fresh eyes, seeing tremendous charm and loveliness in what is around her. Just having moved into one of the new AM&A’s warehouse lofts downtown, she is impassioned by the rebirth the city is experiencing.
“I’m so excited about the redevelopment of Buffalo – it gives me goose bumps,” she enthuses.
As someone that appreciates architecture and new urbanism, Katie considers Buffalo to be “one of the most beautiful cities in the world.” Diving into the local arts community here, she hopes to not only celebrate and work with fellow talented artists, but Katie also wishes to be a part of the city’s revival. To her, that means capturing the heart of Buffalo and showing the city, and its people, exactly how beautiful they really are.
Being part of the Rust Belt brotherhood, we collectively pride ourselves on our tougher-than-nails exterior, wearing our dirt and blood as a coat of armor. We’ve taken our knocks from others and we even know how to dish out the knocks to ourselves. Our storied history, at times, can be as much a thorn in our side as it is our badge of honor. Katie’s mission is to not only show us the beauty that lies within our culture, but see beyond what we know (and have known) ourselves to be.
“I want Buffalo to embrace itself for what it is,” explains Katie.
What are we, exactly? To Katie, Buffalo is a place of community, where its people are the heart and soul of its existence. A place of family and of love, set against the backdrop of decades of hardships and tough knocks.
“Clients love the experience of having their picture taken because it’s fun, but I want people to look at themselves differently and see their own beauty,” says Katie. “Doing that will carry well beyond that photo shoot.”
A photographer that wants its subject to be seen as beautiful through the eye of their lens isn’t a foreign concept; however, few have the fervent mission Katie has as it relates to changing one’s perception of themselves into a positive one that can and should be celebrated.
Although she is regularly back and forth to New York City for her business, Katie has many plans for her new home and career in Buffalo, which has her excited. Beyond the important photography work she is embarking on, Katie is working on a blog specializing in makeup and beauty tips. Moreover, she is looking to offer services in personal shopping and consulting for those wanting assistance with makeup and styling, as well as full makeovers.
Katie Ambrose is one of the enviable few who have discovered what her life’s passion is and has found the means to make it her living. Her life story–as she tells it–is a fascinating one to be enjoyed over beers. Now, she wants to give back to a community she loves in such a way that she hopes will have a lasting impact. In her own words upon her first night back in Buffalo, Katie said:
“I feel like I picked the right space, in the right building, in the right city.”
646-200-1790
www.Facebook.com/KatieAmbrosePhoto
Image credits: Katie Ambrose