A Passion for Photography

I have a feeling that today's guest is not new to you. Susanna's Sketchbook, is an amazing blog and it's author has a special talent for friendship. Susanna Gordon is a remarkable woman, full of talent and generosity. If you haven't met her yet, today is your lucky day.



Without a doubt, photography is my personal passion. Ever since I developed that first roll of film and printed that first contact sheet in Art College, I was hooked.


Whether I am wandering through a neighborhood in New York or walking down a dirt path in a local park, I tend to pay more attention to my surroundings when I have my camera slung over my shoulder. Graffiti on wall in the Meat Packing District or an abandoned farmhouse along a dirt road in the countryside can become the setting for a good story or two. That's one big reason I enjoy photography so much. Images tell stories.


My most favourite subjects for photography are people. During my twenties, I spent many weekends photographing weddings. From that experience, I got over the fear of asking strangers if I could take their photo. What I discovered is that more often than not, people will say yes. I think many of us are curious as to how an artist or a photographer may see us. Why would someone want to take my photograph...? And it requires trust on behalf of the person posing for me, particularly is I am a stranger to them, that I will represent them in a good way. Needless to say, I feel very lucky when someone agrees to post for me.


The best moment of all - that state of bliss when my heart races and time disappears - occurs while I am shooting. IT is when that indescribable something happens that is beyond what I had envisioned. It could be the way the light may fall upon a scene of the expression that crosses the face of my subject when I know that she is lost in thought. It can be in an unexpected movement or a pose. That's the moment in photography that I love most of all. ~ Susanna