“We get so caught up in what is advertised today because we don’t see ourselves portrayed in the media. I wanted to make sure that every single woman had the opportunity to be seen.” — ELISE KUTT
BY KENNEDY MAPES | PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY MOD BETTIE PORTRAIT BOUTIQUE
Mod Bettie Offers Empowerment Through Photography hat started out as a photography studio created to fill a void in the photo industry, has now turned into an outlet for women to learn about, love and embrace themselves.
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her assignments because it was easier for her to play with lighting and photoshop by herself than relying on someone else. After looking through her body of work, she realized how much it influenced her self-love and the way she looked at photography.
Elise Kutt, founder of Mod Bettie Portrait Boutique, discovered her love for photography by chance. She was attending Michigan State University and feeling completely lost until she took a photography class at Lansing Community College (LCC)
Kutt created an impressive portfolio that helped her get into the Art Institute of Chicago where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts. Upon receiving her degree, she worked as a location scout in Chicago for several years until she decided to relocate to Grand Rapids.
“This is when I fell in love with photography,” Kutt expressed.
“I had a nervous breakdown,” Kutt said. “I didn’t know what I was going to do in West Michigan. It was saturated in photographers.”
She continued her education at LCC before transferring to Washtenaw Community College. Kutt said that it was at Washtenaw that she developed her love for portraits out of convenience; she took self-portraits for
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She stayed in Chicago for two years and researched Grand Rapids. She wanted to see what already existed and what was lacking. She noticed that Chicago had a
Women’s LifeStyle Magazine • April 2020
