Daily Inspiration: Meet Suzie Barber

Today we’d like to introduce you to Suzie Barber

Hi Suzie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I have been photographing professionally since 2009, and I stumbled into this incredible journey because I fell in love with capturing my kids. A friend saw some of my work and asked me to photograph her children, and the business grew from there. I am primarily self taught, but have invested in lots of educational courses, seminars, and workshops to develop my craft. I currently specialize in high school seniors, athletes, and families. I have earned my Certified Professional Photographer certification through the Professional Photographers of America, and I am currently working on my Master Certification. I am an active member of my local and national photographers’ associations, and I love helping out other businesses on occasion too.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My business journey has been full of challenges! First of all, In 15 years of being in business, have operated in four different states due to family moves. Relocating and starting over is always a challenge, but thankfully the last 11 years have been here in Arizona. Additionally, covid caused everything to halt, and therefore my business went through some slow times.
Other struggles have been keeping up with technology, trends, and finding new ways to market to customers. The photography industry is full of competition, and there are lots of photographers out there fighting for the same clients. I am confident that there is enough business for everyone, but attracting the right clients can be a challenge. I heavily rely on the experience I offer and referrals to generate new clients.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The single type of photography I offer that sets me apart from others in my market is my work with athletes, specifically swimmers. I love capturing athletes in action and creating a lasting piece of artwork for them. High school athletes spend so much time invested into their sports as do their parents. Only a small percentage move on to compete at a collegiate level, so I get to create a lasting memory of this athleticism. My athlete sessions involve underwater, action, and studio type images. I work together with my clients to capture them in action. It’s a team effort, and I love the collaboration.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love where we live! There are so many beautiful spaces for on location photography session, and we have sunny weather nearly all the time. Desert landscapes offer some of the most beautiful backdrops for client photographs. Of course, the heat is probably the worst part of working here as an on-location photographer. Photographing clients in 109 degree weather is definitely not fun for anyone.

Pricing:

• Session fees are 150.00 plus tax for two hour session.
• Session fees are 250.00 plus tax for athlete and three hour sessions
• I offer digital and print products, please email or text me for more information.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.freshphotobysuzie.com
• Instagram: @freshphotobysuzie

Image Credits
All images were taken by Suzie Barber

The image of Suzie was taken by Ane Marie Photography