SIMPLY BY SUZY

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happy birthday T! | chicago child photographer

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Hi, I'm Suzy, a photographer, mentor and mom of 3. I'm so glad you're here.

This past weekend I spent photographing Trinity’s  princess-themed birthday party to help her celebrate turning 3! (remember her baby sister Faith?)

Okay now where do I begin with this story.. well, I’ll start by telling you a little bit about Trinity.  She just absolutely adores her baby sister – and in fact, any time a baby enters the room she instantly jumps into big sister mode. When you first meet T you’ll probably see a couple of tiny hands wrapped around her dad until she slowly peeks at you from behind his leg with those big eyes and deceptively quiet smile.  I love that I caught her carrying around a giant ziplock baggie of vegetables at her party and even at just 3 years old she wont hesitate for one second to tell her mom how to put on a fake tattoo.  And best of all, T is probably the only little girl you will ever meet who has both a toy construction builder’s set AND a box of jewelry & dress up clothes in her room (by request).  Yes, this is the beautiful, bright and sweet little Trinity that I’ve come to know.

T had a pretty standard birthday party – good food, relaxing, a cake and presents – but there were a couple of things that really struck me.  For one, there was only family at the party and while I usually have to try really hard to be unobtrusive so that people don’t continually stop to look and smile when I’m trying to catch a candid moment, no one really paid much attention to me as ‘the photographer’ and treated me as if I was one of their own.  If I hadn’t been told, I probably wouldn’t have even known that it was just a family event and no friends there.  Second, there were THREE great grandmas at the party.  I was once told that good things come in 3’s and I guess ‘they’ weren’t kidding!  I got a chance to talk to each one and I was blown away at how young at heart they were (and even on the outside too).  I commented several times that I was having trouble figuring out who the grandmas, great grandmas and aunts were because they all looked so darn good!

Anyway, here are but some of a few favorite images of mine from the party so you can see what I’m talking about.  Thank you so much T for having me at your party and allowing me to photograph you as you danced and played your little heart out.

And lastly, I am just so in love with this photo.  It’s clearly not perfect by any means – it’s out of focus, it’s grainy, the cropping could probably be better.. but it is so T. Despite whatever moments she may have had where was tired or didn’t want to be bothered, this pretty much sums up her personality and what it was like to photograph her during her party lol

Hi, I'm Suzy, a photographer, mentor and mom of 3. I'm so glad you're here.

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I'm Suzy of Simply by Suzy, and I'm so happy you're here at my blog because I can't wait to serve you with lots of good stuff like a peek into all of my favorite photoshoots for clients, freebies and resources on motherhood, how to get more connected with your life, and how to take beautiful pictures of it

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The Artist

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For nearly two decades, I’ve worked with individuals and families who understand the value of time. And the importance of preserving it well.

My work centers on creating living archives: carefully composed records of a life as it’s being lived. Not performances. Not surface moments. But the relationships, environments, and details that define a legacy.

I approach each commission with the eye of an artist and the discipline of a documentarian. Listening closely. Observing deeply. Shaping work that is meant to endure. Crafted on film, finished as heirloom objects, and designed to be held in your hands, lived with in the home, and passed down in your private family vault. 

This is not photography for the present moment.

It is art made in service of memory, history, and the generations that follow.

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