THE AMERIGUNS - New York

From my project THE AMERIGUNS (2018/2020) - This is Bree (43) in Putnam Valley, New York - When Bree decided to leave Manhattan and the city for somewhere less fast-paced, she put a lot of thought into what county would be best. In some, guns are strongly frowned upon, in others, they are better tolerated. She owns 18 and is “an anomaly, in this ultra-liberal area.” Most importantly, she has turned that fact into a cornerstone of her life. For 15 years she worked as an actress and TV-show host in California. It was there that she really got to know guns—to love them so much, in fact, that she became an NRA member and a firearms instructor. Now she teaches women how to shoot, not only for self-defence, but also just for fun. Her first piece of advice to her students is, “It’s much easier to use a long gun than a handgun. They’re more accurate and it’s easier to hit the target.” She still takes acting jobs sometimes, in TV and film, but she and her tips about guns have become a point of reference for a large social media following. “I always try to be genuine. I never talk about a gun if I don’t really like it. I don't take instructions from companies, even if I do have longstanding relationships with a few different ones.” What qualities does a gun need to have for her to like it? “I don’t look only at aesthetic qualities, although, as a woman, I do like pretty guns. What I want is for them to be practical, both for teaching others and for self-defense.”