Revolutionizing Perspectives: A Local Queer Photographer’s Portraits Challenge the Norms

Julie Riemersma is a queer, local lens artist dedicated to fostering an inclusive environment for BIPOC and fellow 2SLGBTQ+ individuals. With over 12 years of experience in photography, her recent works have beautifully integrated into our vibrant community, particularly spotlighting emerging drag performers and queer portraits.

We posed her several questions to learn more.

       

   

Yohomo: You’ve been gaining attention online recently with your drag portrait series! What motivated this shoot? How did you select your subjects?

Julie Riemersma: Wow, it’s incredible to be asked that! To be completely candid, I experienced an unforeseen breakup in June. Suddenly, I found myself with a wealth of free time and a significantly diminished fear of rejection. So, I just thought, why not?

       

   

What do I desire? I want to capture drag, so I started messaging some drag performers to arrange some shoots. I was thrilled to merge my 12 years of fashion and portrait expertise with these drag projects and even explore some video work alongside them. I consciously decided to feature artists of color, transgender artists, and drag kings, as I aimed to provide photos to those who are often underrepresented, even within the queer community. My goal was to collaborate with artists possessing a distinct flair and who were actively engaged in the community, so I did a bit of Instagram detective work and slid into some direct messages!

       

   

This series also served as a fantastic opportunity to forge new friendships and connections within the LGBTQ+ community. Following the end of my relationship, my day-to-day queer interactions drastically diminished, which I didn’t want to maintain.

       

   

Share with us about your recent project… How did it unfold?

For this creative endeavor, I reached out to Matthew [King] to collaborate on a beauty editorial that was edgy, alluring, and androgynous. Matthew crafted an outstanding makeup mood board, which became the foundation for casting Noah and determining the styling.

       

   

I’ve always had a passion for darker, sultry, fetish-inspired shoots. I realized my portfolio lacked anything in that vein, so I aimed to approach it from a feminine viewpoint. I contacted these fabulous designers Rannka, Vitality, Black Line Accessories, and The Men’s Room to acquire items that would align with that aesthetic. Additionally, I hand-painted the red and green backgrounds; I’m quite the crafty one.

       

   

Discuss the highlight of the shoot…

Noah was incredibly pleasant and enjoyable to photograph! I often feel a bit envious of the makeup artists since they tend to get more time to interact with the models. Particularly in my studio, the makeup station is set up in a different room. He proved to be an excellent model, making the process of selecting images very challenging! Be sure to check out his Instagram! He’s such a cool individual.

       

   

You may have touched on this previously, but what’s your perspective on gender?

Haha, it’s intricate? No, but in reality, I believe the times are finally aligning with my views on gender. I appreciate that individuals can now freely explore gender across the spectrum; I find the binary quite tedious. I identify as a woman, yet I have never fully embraced society’s expectations of me in that realm. I essentially raised myself from a young age, so I have never desired children. I have consistently resisted the notion that women cannot undertake certain activities because they are deemed unladylike.

       

   

As a child, I was incredibly lively, always…

chatting, and creating chaos. All of which I was scolded for, and required to read literature such as The Ladies’ Book of Etiquette and Manual of Politeness. It turns out I simply had undiagnosed ADHD, and it’s a significant concern how minimal assistance girls receive for it compared to boys. I’m a somewhat disordered, enthusiastic, tall individual. In other words, I can be quite a handful. It wasn’t until my 20s that I began to feel at ease in my own identity. This coincided with my realization that I was bisexual; suddenly, many aspects of my life started to align better. I’ve transitioned through several versions of femininity, from a tomboy in childhood to more femme in my early 20s, but currently, I feel genuinely content in a femme-ish non-binary space. My curvaceous physique has always been a bit misaligned with my self-perception, but now that I adore straddling the line between men’s and women’s fashion, it feels liberating!

This was a completely queer photoshoot from start to finish, right? How did you achieve that?

It indeed turned out to be fully queer, which is always my personal ambition. The more queer individuals, the better! I reached out to Matthew through social media because I admired his creations. I was aware he was part of the LGBTQ+ community, and we were fortunate to cast Noah for his aesthetic. For years, I’ve been requesting modeling agencies for their BIPOC, queer, trans, and non-binary models, and it’s thrilling to see them beginning to respond to the demand.

The team was also smaller as I handled the styling and set design, which certainly facilitated things.

       

Share a bit about yourself as a queer photographer too… how are you finding your way through the photography scene in the city?

Initially, it was quite tough to be a female photographer at the onset of my profession. This was partly due to the small size of the Toronto industry and partly because it’s heavily male-oriented. Whenever I arrived on set, I was often misidentified as the makeup artist, stylist, and on an exceptionally good day, the model. Conversely, modeling agencies felt at ease sending their young emerging models my way, knowing I was not a creep who would ask them to remove their clothing (it really happens, frequently).

Initially, I struggled to connect with the Toronto queer community as a femme-presenting bisexual woman because I believe I am often assumed to be heterosexual. Now, with a naked woman tattooed on my arm and a preference for wearing chains, it aids in that perception. I didn’t truly feel secure presenting my sexuality publicly and including it in my Instagram bio until more recently. When I began shooting in 2010, it was far from acknowledged as it is today. I genuinely worried about client retention. Now, I only wish to work with clients who hold non-homophobic views. It’s been a journey for me to completely accept the queerness within myself and my art, and at last, I feel like my authentic self.

       

   

Currently, I believe being a queer female fashion photographer offers a substantial advantage since there are not many of us in this space. I possess a distinct viewpoint on gender and sexuality that is evident in the relaxed yet stylish presence of the models I photograph. It is vital for me to capture images from a stance of empowerment and never in an objectifying manner.

Do you have any significant plans for what you’d like to pursue next?

I see myself as my fiercest competitor, continually striving to create something inventive and challenging myself artistically. The aspiration has always been to undertake projects with larger and more impressive budgets as I evolve. I directed all these images with merely a few team members and no budget at all. I can only visualize what my creations would resemble if I could focus solely on photography! I eagerly anticipate working on more collaborative ventures with creative designers, stylists, and art directors.

   

   

I would adore capturing the promotional photographs for Drag Race Canada or a fashion editorial for a prominent magazine showcasing queer artists. I’m focusing on more editorial portrait photography with queer celebrities, artists, musicians, and writers, and I am thoroughly excited to embark on those types of shoots. Additionally, I am conducting a few photography lessons and guiding BIPOC photographers, which I find immensely fulfilling. I’m a total enthusiast; I enjoy discussing photography.

Photography, styling and retouching: Julie Riemersma @julieriemersma
Makeup Artist: Matthew King @Mttthw
Model: Noah @coworboy with Want Management @wantmanagement