All About Me

Hello & Welcome!

I have always had a profound love of nature. My childhood was spent hiking the woodlands of southwestern Pennsylvania. I became a science and nature nerd early on, delighting in animals, geodes, and backyard astronomy. These interests continued in college and I studied geology and astronomy, and later environmental science and philosophy.

 

During graduate school I started traveling with my father, an avid amateur photographer. On our adventures in the Southwest and Rocky Mountains, I picked up his love of this art. When he passed a few years later, he left his camera equipment to me, and my hobby turned into a passion.

 

After grad school life threw me a curve. Instead of becoming a college professor I spent 20 years as a stay-at-home mom and advocate for kids with special needs. During those years I hiked almost daily with a camera in the stunning landscapes of Colorado Springs. It was there that I honed my skills and became a serious artist.

​

To me, two places on earth are pure magic: Garden of the Gods park in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah. Those are my sacred places, the locations where my heart feels full and my soul feels grounded. Many of the photos on this site are from these locations.

 

I have won two photography awards - scroll down to see more!.

 

I’ve written two nature photography books. One is an inspirational book for teens and adults: Life is a Balancing Act and Nature Understands. The second came about during my work with kids: Thanksgiving Pie for the Animals: How an Apple Pie for Thanksgiving Led to a Fall Feast for the Wild Critters!

 

When I hike with my camera I reset emotionally, losing myself in the world of cute critters and majestic mountains. I talk softly to the animals that allow me the privilege of photographing them, and I thank them with genuine gratitude! Butterflies often land on me and animals know I am not a threat. Through the lens I see and experience the world differently, through the eyes of a tiny butterfly or a soaring eagle. I find the change in perspective freeing from everyday life. I hope to convey that healing perspective in my photos.

 

To me, photography is part mediation, part artistic expression, and part Yoga, as the close-up macro photos I take involve contorting myself or laying on the ground in crazy poses to get my shot. I jokingly call it “Photoyogatography”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

​

​

​

​

I adore photographing small critters from bugs and butterflies to birds and flowers. Landscapes are fabulous, but my love is in the realm of the tiny. Most recently I’ve been living a life dream and dabbling in night sky photography. I hope to focus increasingly on night shots in the coming years.

​

I am back home living in Colorado Springs, Colorado after 5 years in Flagstaff, Arizona. My kids Amanda and Ryan went to college in Flagstaff, though we all consider Colorado Springs where they grew up to be home. In 2018 I married Stan, an amazing landscape photographer, and unsurprisingly our mutual love of photography had a lot to do with us getting together. Hiking with cameras makes for some pretty epic dates! We followed the kids to Arizona for a fresh start and to open a gallery in Sedona (more on that below). When not taking pictures of nature I can be found napping with my dogs or working on my main business, Impress! Bakeware, which I own with my brother’s wife Jill.  We make cookie presses and disks, and I spend a lot of time photographing and blogging about cookies! My life is full of creativity.

Thanks for stopping by!

Susie

​

​

​

​

​