Behind the Lens: How Black Female Photographer Candace Byrd Found Her Creative Calling

Candace Byrd, founder of FD Images

written by Nnenna Ferguson

Candace (Desta) Byrd is a creative soul who remembers a time when Buffalo, NY had little to offer a developing artist. A native to the queen city, she says her love for fashion and fantasy was the starting point of her career. And with the support of her longtime partner and husband, Byrd launched her business, FD Images from the couch after realizing her passion was more than just a hobby. “I made this without having anything and it’s grown into something that I’m able to call a business. But, it didn’t come out of nowhere, I wasn’t poppin’ from the beginning! This was something that with every client I made sure that I tried to do something special for them. And then word of mouth and repeat clients have really helped me grow and be successful.”

NF: How has being from Buffalo influenced your work?

CB: I feel like anybody who’s from Buffalo or lived here in the last 10-15 years can know that Buffalo wasn’t always known for its art. When I grew up, I was always into fashion and I would get a lot of my inspiration from TV, books, and magazines. So I guess you can say that Buffalo shaped me because it made me do more research on my own. Once the city started to grow and art started to become something that was more widespread in the culture, it helped me bring what I had learned as I was growing into this new world.

NF: Would you say that a lack of access and exposure to local art and photography pushed you to do your own thing?

CB: Yeah, absolutely! I would say that specifically, it helped me be more creative because it allowed me to create this fantasy world. A lot of my photography is inspired by fantasy and fiction type things. I love things that are very ethereal and fairytale-esque. As I grew up and watched a lot of Disney and I was very much into animé and cartoons, those types of stories inspired me, in addition to a lot of the fashion photography I would research. It was something that made me excited and I thought maybe I could do this too. That’s how I got into drawing for fashion, painting, and then slowly getting into photography later on in life.

NF: Do you still paint?

CB: I have gotten back into painting during quarantine and I do have FD Images a few in my basement right now. But I haven’t seriously painted since like high school or college… so that’s about 10+ years!

NF: So when did you first pick up a camera?

CB: I started taking pictures probably in 2007 when I was in high school. My mom had bought me a little tiny cheap digital camera and I was just in love with it. I was taking pictures of everything. I was always inspired by the pictures I would see in the yearbooks and I submitted one of [my] pictures for a contest they had and they actually chose my image to be the cover of the yearbook that year. Ever since then, it was like a fire was lit in me and I wanted to learn more and more about it!

NF: It seems like this was a natural talent for you, what are some of the struggles you’ve had in developing your artistry and your skills?

CB: I would say when your creativity becomes a business or something that’s being monetized, it takes a lot of your time away from being able to create freely. One of my struggles would be being content in the way that I shoot and my style and being less likely to experiment as much as I used to in the past. I think that in order to experiment, you have to fail. If you’re going to get better you have to fail, you have to get out of your comfort zone. And I can definitely tell you that one of the struggles I’m currently dealing with is to stop being so content with my work and to branch out and not be afraid to try different styles or lighting or angles. That’s what I’m currently working on for this year.

NF: That’s real. Especially when you’re passionate about the doing, it’s like ‘damn this business stuff.’

CB: Don’t get me wrong, I love the business aspect. I love my clients and a lot of my clients do push me. Essentially, my job is to create something out of whatever their vision is. I have to try to not only create a vision based on what they say but to kind of influence them into what might be a better look. 

NF: So let’s talk more about your brand and that process from creating to running a business.

CB: The business itself started on my couch with my fiancé, Edward. At the time, back in 2014-2015, it really was a hobby. But this is when I really started to do more research and I literally learned everything I could through books and going on YouTube. So I had just picked up the camera again because I had slowed down in college. I was trying to graduate and finish with good grades! And then it just started to blow up and I was falling in love, I wanted to do a creative shoot 3-4 times a week. And then it got to a point that people were like ‘oh I’ll pay you to do this!’ And I said ‘you wanna pay me?! Ok sure, absolutely!’ So my fiancé was just like we should make this a business and I don’t understand why we’re not taking this more seriously. Like this is not just a hobby because you’re doing a really nice job and we can do this together.’ And I love him every day for that because our business would not be where it is today if it wasn’t for him and that conversation. We made it a business, we created our website and made it official and there have been some trials when it comes to the workflow and the process. But ultimately, my goal is to make my clients happy and to create an experience that’s like art. Something they can keep forever, really love, and hopefully treasure for the rest of their lives.

NF: That’s really cool that you have that kind of deep partnership! Can you tell me about some other ways that your community or network has influenced your business or the work you create?

CB: I can tell you that I am so thankful and so blessed to live in a city that has been so supportive of my art and encouraging of my craft. When I started I was so nervous to release my work and have people look at it and judge it but since going public the community has been absolutely amazing. They’ve been nothing but welcoming and have helped me to spread the word about my art without me even asking. [The community] has helped me and my family build something not only for this generation but hopefully for my children too. As far as Buffalo as a whole, so many people have trusted me with whatever they’ve needed and I’ve really appreciated the support that I’ve gotten. It’s really challenged me to want to do better and be better. I’ve never had a negative experience with any of my clients and I’ve been truly blessed.

NF: What’s your ideal setting/subject for a shoot?

CB: If you look at my work, I’m very much into portrait/model/editorial/fashion photography. When I do creative pieces, that’s what I lean towards. I’m so inspired by fairytale, ethereal, fantasy, fairies, pixies, just the female form glowing. So the best way, in my history of shooting, to find that is natural light. Whether it’s indoors using windows or outdoors in the shade. You’ll never really find me shooting in direct sunlight with those contrasts… and maybe this year I will branch out of my comfort zone! But I’m very much a shade shooter, meaning that you get a lot more even light on your subject and it allows you to get that glow that I love to see in faces. I love to do stuff that’s kind of abstract, I love having a juxtaposition between my model and my environment. A beautiful fairy in a dark alley. 

NF: Finish a sentence for me: I want my art to…

CB: … Inspire others. When I think about inspiration, I think about that feeling of being better than what you think you can be. So when people look at my art, I want them to be able to see the potential in themselves, just inspiring them to be a better person.

NF: What’s a short term goal you’d like to achieve?

CB: My goal this year would be to develop lessons/masterclasses. I want to provide a forum to teach others about the creative process and or the business aspect of photography. I don’t see many photographers that look like me that are doing anything similar for this generation. If I can inspire one person, then I have done my job.

Author Bio

Nnenna J. Ferguson is a trailblazer. Born and raised in Buffalo, NY (and part time in LA) she discovered a love for writing and creative composition in elementary school. She takes pride in knowing she’s devoted every minute of her twenties to figuring “it” out. Nnenna is a sister, a listener, a director, an entrepreneur, a model, and a mother. She enjoys studying people and plants.... lots of plants. (Nnenna continues to live and love in the moment, opting for real-time experiences over digital whenever possible.)