Houma native Brenda Sonier will display her photography in an exhibit from May 2 - July 10 at Southdown Plantation and Museum.
Sonier said she has had a camera in her hand for as long as she can remember. Now that her children are grown, the full time nurse spends her free time capturing nature and “the simple things around us that make Louisiana special” on film.
“I like to bring my camera along when we go fishing,” says Sonier. “There are always beautiful things to see and take pictures of. I hope to travel more, now that my youngest is graduating. Photography is a great hobby to have when traveling, because it just goes with you.”
Sonier’s full time profession as a nurse has her caring for the elderly.
“I like to bring my photographs in for them to see. Many of them don’t get outside anymore. They can still experience things through the pictures I take. It really is the best of both worlds,” Sonier says.
While most of Sonier’s photography centers on beautiful aspects of our area’s scenery, what surrounds her photography is just as interesting. Sonier’s husband Guy makes cypress wooden frames, which originate from an 1800 plantation home, for each picture. The couple often jokes: she says that her photography makes the frames more beautiful, and he says the frames help out her pictures.
“I find that Mrs. Sonier’s photography really captures the essence of peace and serenity of our area - whether it be a dragon fly resting on a leaf or a beautiful pelican taking flight above the water,” says Katie LeCompte, executive director of Southdown Museum. “There are over 45 photographs in this exhibit with a great range of sizes of 5 x 7 to 20 x 30, so there is plenty to see and are extremely affordable, if in the market.”
