Hi, I’m Suzanna. I’ve been photographing babies and families for almost ten years now. I know, I can’t believe it either.
I kind of fell into the world of newborn photography accidentally. I was still trying to decide what I wanted to be when I grew up. I had just met my first nieces and nephew, and I saw these absolutely adorable photos being posted online of other newborns. And I thought, how hard could that be?!
Turns out, super hard.
But I was jumping in with both feet. I bought my first digital camera, bought a basket and some blankets, and went all in with my second niece right after she was born. To say that I cringe while looking at those photos with an experienced eye now is an understatement, but I still love them because she is my niece. And they remind me how far I’ve come. Since then, I’ve taken workshops from some industry pros, taken courses, safety courses, and learned the ins and outs of safely posing these wee human beings to create beautiful images that I’m proud of.
Photography allows me an outlet for all of my creative ideas, and to be honest, probably saves my house from being redecorated every month. It also feeds my love of online shopping, which is a topic we won’t touch here.
Photography was definitely not the direction I thought I’d go when I was a teenager. If you know me outside of photography, you’ve probably seen me pass on holding a newborn, refuse slobbery kisses from a 6 month old, and quickly side-step a sticky toddler. I’ll quote my sister-in-law who once said “I had babies to have kids.” And I feel that. But when I’m in my studio or on location, with my camera beside me, I am in my element and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. I will take your baby, laugh when I get peed on (my record is six outfit changes in one session), wipe a drool string from a sitter, and help your one year old smash their cake. I love every single moment with my smallest clients. And I couldn’t see myself doing anything else with my time.
I know you likely didn’t come here to hear about why I love photography, but how I came to be here is a big part of who I am. Jumping in with both feet should be my life’s motto. My husband is constantly shaking his head at me with all of my new endeavours and hobbies. Whether it was my stint with knitting, when I starting making drawings for each niece and nephew when they were born, gardening, canning, calligraphy, sign making, bread baking, candle making…you get the point. I jump around from hobby to hobby quicker than you can say boo. But the one thing I’ve stuck with the whole time is photography. It brings me a joy that nothing else can.
I grew up on a dairy farm just outside of Palmerston, Ontario. With four older siblings, I was the baby of the family, and often left to my own devices. I remember trips to the bush with our family dog, sitting in the tree reading a book, digging around in mud puddles with a neighbour, convinced that we were going to cure all of life’s ailments with the gunk at the bottom of the mud. We built forts, worked hard, and I was usually dirty. Photos of my childhood confirm that. If I was inside, you could count on finding me at my little art table, cutting and pasting something that I’d dug out of the recycling.
Sports were also a huge part of my life growing up, and still are. I played hockey all my life, as well as every other sport I could at school. I played volleyball in grade 9, tennis, and dabbled in some track and field. Now, I coach my kiddos hockey, help with baseball, and still play hockey myself. This sports life is a busy one, but man is it a rewarding one.
That’s it for today, maybe next time I’ll tell you the story of how we ended up in the beautiful little town of Corunna.
Talk later,
Suzanna
