Today we’d like to introduce you to Suzanne Pressman.
Can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today. You can include as little or as much detail as you’d like.
I was lucky enough to have access to a darkroom in middle school, and I’ve had a camera by my side ever since. At 13 years old, growing up in Florida, I’d spend weekends wandering the boardwalk with my 35mm camera, unknowingly practicing what I now recognize as street photography. I became fascinated by capturing the fleeting, honest, funny, and beautiful fragments of life that often go unnoticed.
In 2009, with little direction in my career, I was waiting tables (having a BFA in Fine Art wasn’t helping me out much). One day, the restaurant owner was taking photos of the menu with a digital camera. Never using one, I asked him if I could try it out. From then on, I was their official restaurant photographer and the owner gifted me a digital camera of my own! Everything took off from there.
I built a website, booked a few jobs through Craigslist, and before I knew it, I was a professional photographer. I spent the first two years of my career photographing antique jewelry, but I began to feel lonely in a studio by myself. In 2011, I second shot a wedding for a photographer friend and fell in love with documenting love. Since then, I’ve photographed over 200 weddings!
My work began to evolve and I started taking on different genres: commercial clients, portraits, headshots, documentary work, and most recently pet photography. My biggest client is a pet food brand that I got to see go from local to international with my photography as a core part of their marketing. I photographed many Olympic athletes being “Healthier Together” with their pets alongside them. I got to photograph Michael Phelps, Simone Biles, Gabby Thomas and many more.I am incredibly grateful for that work. Honestly, I can’t believe I haven’t offered pet photography on my website sooner!
No matter the subject, I’ve always been drawn to capturing the essence and truth of what lies before by lens. I love bending light and collaboratively creatively. Photography is deeply spiritual. It grounds me, keeps me present, and allows me to connect more deeply with the unfolding world around me. I love collaborating with people from all walks of life and across all types of photography. My goal is to always create Photography That Connects.
Has it been a smooth road? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Like any creative path, the road has had both smooth stretches and uncertain ones. There have been periods of downtime when my inbox was empty and I was pulling my hair out! The world has changed so much since Covid and the AI takeover. On and off, I’ve truly embodied the “starving artist” lifestyle, but I never stopped creating or believing in where the work could lead.
Do you have any advice for those who are just starting out? Anything you wish you knew when you were starting out?
Bring your camera everywhere, especially when starting! Practice, practice, practice! Always leave room to experiment. Try new ideas, take creative risks, and allow yourself the freedom to explore, even when things don’t work out the way you planned. More often than not, that’s where the unexpected magic happens. Stay curious and keep on clicking!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.pressmanphotography.com/
- Instagram: @pressmanphotography
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pressmanphotography
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