Post by CLAIRE LEANNE BRYANTS on Feb 24, 2012 3:24:44 GMT -5
| [atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; background-color: #4D5761; padding:30px; border-top: 3px #6E93B5 dashed; border-bottom: 3px #6E93B5 dashed; border-left: 3px #6E93B5 dashed; border-right: 3px #6E93B5 dashed;] claire leanne bryants TWENTY-ONE PHOTOGRAPHER GO. NO. STOP! CANDICE ACCOLA THE BASICS Well, my name's Claire, but people call me CiCi, Claire Bear, CB, Bryants, Lens, pretty much anything they feel like...that won't get them punched in the face, at least...I am definitely into the guys, no lesbian action for me. I can't stand girls as it is. I don't have a family anymore. My mother and brother were murdered, my dad ODed...I was left alone when I was 16 to go live with an uncle who never gave a damn about me anyway. But I left him when I was offered a photography gig on tour with a great band. I took my border collie Bandit with me when I left that hell hole. PERSONALITY You know, I used to be more sweet, funny, and shy than I am now...until everything went wrong. Ever since I lost my family, I can't really trust people around me. The pictures I take, the cameras I use have become my sanity, my reason for keeping control, and I wouldn't give it up for anything. I'm the type of person that would smile even though I'm dying inside just to make the people close to me happy; except, sometimes when I'm pissed or really tired, I snap at people if they are too close. I HATE invasion of her personal space, even with my closest friends. I'm a hard worker...I can't help myself whenever I'm needed for something. After all, I was raised by a mechanic who always needed help in the shop, so I was raised with work. However, if I don't like you, do not expect me to do a favor for you. I might be nice, but if I genuinely don't like someone or if they're a threat, I won't hesitate to turn them down. I'm not confrontational with most people, but I have been in fights with one or two girls who pissed me off before. I can break a nose or two if I get angry enough and I'm not afraid to protect myself or my friends. I'm not a slut nor a stuck up brat, even though I look like a Barbie at times. I'm a Southern girl, born and raised around guys and taught to raise some hell in a good set of high heels. I'd rather go 4-wheeling and horseback riding than sleep around or go out clubbing. I love cars, motorcycles, alcohol, music, anything that can make me forget how crappy my life used to be...but my main focus is photography. There's just nothing like it. However, my biggest secret? I used to be an extremely talented and successful singer in New Orleans, before my family died. But I gave it up, stopped singing the day my last close family member was taken from me. And I haven't played my own music since. The saddest part? Not one person on the tour knows who I used to be. And hopefully, they'll never find out. HISTORY I was born to a musician mother and a loving, mechanic father. We all lived in New Orleans and were almost your normal, every day average family. Then, my parents took me to music lessons one day and found out I had a natural gift with music, especially singing and writing music. They enrolled me in the music school immediately, and I got to go almost every day to practice! I loved music because it gave me an outlet to express everything inside of me, both the good and the bad. I don't think my parents could be any prouder than seeing me on a stage singing my heart out, especially my mother...After all, she was a musician! When my mom had my little brother Jacob, I couldn’t have been more thrilled to be a big sister. He grew to be more into the cliche boy stuff such as video games, sports, and army men, I was still more absorbed in the music aspect of the family. Though, we were still practically inseparable when it came to loving cars. I wanted an Aston Martin Vanquish and my little brother preferred Camaros. Dad owned a red Corvette, and I was taught at the age of 13 to fix cars like him. You need an engine repaired or a tune up? I'm your girl. When I was sixteen years old, I was performing at a small concert at the local House of Blues with Mom when I saw a man in the audience staring at me. I didn't think anything of it at first, maybe he was a fan and was just interested in the song. We left later that night, after an absolutely amazing and fun performance that had started to give me a real name in music. My father and Jacob met us outside since they had been in the audience to watch and give us support. I saw that same man walking up to us with a gun in his hand. I heard Dad tell me to leave, to run and don’t look back. It felt like everything moved in slow motion...That’s when I heard the gunshots. I heard so much pain and screaming all around me. I tried to turn, but I was knocked backwards as someone ran past me. When I came to and was able to sit up, Dad was kneeling at the bodies of my brother and mother, crying and yelling for someone to call 911. All I saw was blood, and I watched as my mother and little brother died before the ambulances could get there to save them. My father and I buried Jacob and Mom a few days later, and my life has never been the same since. The police never caught the man responsible, and Dad would never tell her what had happened and who the murderer was. A month or two later, to make matters worse, Dad was in a state of depression and ODed on his pills, leaving me to my careless uncle who cared more for money than for me. After that all happened, I didn't have the strength to continue my music. It's like my love and passion for it died with my parents. I wish it would come back, but I don't think I'm ready just yet. I began to fall into photography and discovered that I was damn good at it. So I invested some of my uncle's money into some of the nicest cameras on the market and began my life of photography. I got a job snapping photos for the band Go. No. Stop! and heard they were heading on tour. I knew it would be the perfect opportunity to get out of my own personal Hell and do something with my life, make some money doing what I love while being around music and a good group of talented guys. They've become my family, and I don't know what I'd do without this band and tour. Well, I'd probably be back with that ass of an uncle, downing a bottle of Jack, but I'm trying not to think about the past anymore. whit. 21. central. |
