Suzy photographed us when our daughter was just 15 days old - a newborn/family photoshoot. The photos she delivered were beautiful and were such an incredibly accurate reflection of our family. She was responsive leading up to the shoot and answered all of our questions quickly. She was right on time when she came to our home for the shoot, which was so wonderful given we very recently had our baby, and the thought of travelling, even to a nearby studio, was overwhelming. She asked us about our favorite parts of our home, and where we wanted to have our photos taken, but also had such an amazing eye and made suggestions for props to use that resulted in us capturing our daughter with some precious family heirlooms. The whole thing took about an hour to complete, but we in no way felt rushed. In fact, Suzy asked us several times if there were any other photos we wanted to take, waited for us to go through a couple of outfit changes, and was so patient and gracious with her time throughout. We cannot say enough good about working with Suzy. She was professional, punctual and kind to us brand new parents. The resulting photos were perfect for our birth announcements and for printing for our family. read more

I love "working" with Suzy. My family has done two simple sessions with her and they have both been fun experiences that resulted in beautiful photos. Shes warm and energetic, skilled at making children feel comfortable. It's truly amazing to see what she can capture in 20mins. I hope to have her in our home for a full session some day, the photos she takes of families at home are so raw and intimate and captures families as they truly are. I recommend working with her! read more

My husband is never thrilled when I schedule family photos. With that said, he was coming to our first session pretty apprehensive. The reminders she sent leading up to the session were truly my saving grace. They reminded me to let my girls be themselves, let them be comfortable, and bringing snacks/comfort items IS appropriate for a session. She approached my girls with the warmest smile and attitude and worked her magic effortlessly. It worked so well that not only did the photos turn out perfectly, but everyone left with smiles and what was captured was a true reflection of our family. There was adventure, affection and most of all happy memories that will last a lifetime. We have had the BEST experience working with Suzy two years in a row at Elawa and will cherish the memories and photos forever. read more

What a joy to work with Suzy! We have done three family sessions so far, and after our last experience booked another three for the next few years. She if truly gifted at creating authentic, beautiful family memories. The last shoot we did was a birthday one for me and my son. We worked together on planning a full day of activities (riding the train, bath time, making pizza and cake) and she created a beautiful video and set of photos that captured the feeling of such a celebratory, special day together. She made the entire experience feel so special and comfortable - like working with your best friend - even with 5 kids in the mix! Don't think twice - if you have the opportunity, work with Suzy! read more

Simply the best. I first found Suzy through her breastfeeding project. She was looking for volunteers and I decided to step out of my comfort zone to be photographed nursing my son. She made the experience not only comfortable, but enjoyable. The photos were so beautiful; I saw my post baby self in a whole new light for the first time. We decided to book Suzy to do our holiday/1st birthday photos in November. She completed the whole set with an amazing turn around time. We were able to get the most beautiful Christmas cards out that year as well as make some lovely Christmas gifts of photos for family members. Her photos always capture our family as we are, at our best. The quality of her photographs is unsurpassed. She uses real film and it's such a different process than digital - and the end result speaks for itself. Each capture is a work of art. Suzy had mentioned coming back to snap a few more pics when our little guy started walking (and including it in the original photo package charge!) We actually ended up being in California at the same time as her and she drove down from LA to San Diego just to photograph my little guy walking on the beach! Value added. Seriously. She is the best. We are moving out west and I will continue to use her as our family photographer no matter what. I just don't know how anyone else could measure up! read more

If I had to use one word to describe Suzy and her work it would be MAGICAL. Suzy's work, photos, and presence are so magical. She did maternity photos/family photos as well as a newborn session for my family. Not only did she work fast (much appreciated when you are trying to photograph three kids five and under) but she was so easy to work with-calm, kind, warm, and positive. She moved all over the place getting the shots we requested and also saw moments and photographed them instantly. She captured so many perfectly imperfect moments between my two little girls--I feel so lucky to have those images forever. We used some photos from our maternity session for our holiday card and I received so many compliments on them. Again with the newborn session photos-her work looks like art. It is so stunning. I can even look at the photos and say she captured ME in my best light. (pregnant & postpartum!) We love her natural style and how she captures the little moments--the tender look between my husband and daughter, the laughter between sisters, the love between me and my new baby. Oh Suzy, you are such a gem. You captured all the love and beauty in our crazy little world. Thank you thank you thank you!! read more

I almost hesitate to write this review because I selfishly don't want the secret that is Suzy to get out to the rest of the world. If you have seen and admired Suzy's photographs, I think you already know that she has the capacity to capture heartbreaking beauty in the most mundane surroundings. Suzy doesn't need magic tricks or props; instead, she takes a simple moment and captures the ease, grace and beauty of that moment so that you can relive it over and over again. Thus far, Suzy has done this three times for my family -- first with our maternity photos, then with our newborn photos and most recently with our holiday photos (taken last minute in a snowstorm). Time and again, I've been shocked by Suzy's willingness to work tirelessly for our family to get a photo just right. She has, on more than one occasion, come back to our home for a second time if she didn't manage to get a photo that I wanted, or something didn't turn out just so. In this day in age, that kind of service is the exception. And, when combined with Suzy's easy disposition, sweet eye for detail and willingness to go above and beyond to capture your firstborn's teeny tiny butt cheeks, well, you just can't ask for more. I am forever grateful for Suzy for capturing these precious moments for our family -- she is a photographer of staggering talent, a wonderful person, and we are lucky now to be able to call her our friend. Now, about me -- to say that I'm a Type A would be an understatement. Let's just say that I enjoy creating Excel spreadsheets of just about anything. And, as a working mom, I don't have a lot of time to deal with people who fail to respond to my emails, texts or calls. I have, to date, never had that problem with Suzy. If anything, Suzy has been vigilent about sending updates, even when everything is right on schedule. There are a lot of choices out there to document your family, whether your firstborn, your sixthborn or your furbaby, but Suzy not only has the talent, the creativity and the commitment to deliver photographs that will take your breath away, but also the sincerety and love for you, her client, to become an extended part of your family. read more

Suzy is fantastic! We hired Simply by Suzy for our wedding, but first Suzy asked to set up a free engagement session, so she could get a feel for us as a couple. We went to Union Station in Chicago, which was my fiance's choice, and she made a crowded train station seem like it was just us! She brought Vasili (another photographer in her company) to our wedding so that he could be with the groom and she stayed with me. I really liked that there wasn't one photographer going back and forth, possibly missing something. They are so good at what they do, you don't even notice they're in the room taking pictures. I have received countless compliments on our pictures. Suzy just has an eye for it. Great prices and you get a cd of your prints so that you can do with them what you want! You can also order prints from her if you prefer. Besides being great photographers, Suzy and Vasili are just GREAT PEOPLE. Really level-headed and help keep the stress of the day at bay. read more

As someone who has hired many local photographers I can honestly say that I will NEVER stray from Suzy and go anywhere else. What an amazing photographer! Suzy has taken maternity and newborn pics for us and they are beyond GORGEOUS! Each time she has visited us, it's felt like she is an extension of our own family-- she is just there in the background, snapping pics and capturing us in our element. She does an incredible job because each picture tells a story about the way we are as a family-- And the photos are beautiful. During our newborn session, she and her partner (Vasili) took the baby into a separate room to do all of the newborn pics, allowing me some much needed rest. An hour or so later, she woke us up and said they were all done with the photo session. How pain free is that?! Pics done and I got a nap!! And they turned out AMAZING (no surprise there). She is quick with turnaround, too-- which is very important to me, considering she knows how much I love the pics of our kids. The only downside? I don't have a big enough house to showcase ALL of the pics. I highly recommend her. You will not be disappointed. She is worth every penny. read more

Where do I begin to describe my love for Suzy? It's a combination of her work and who she is as a person. I'm not sure who brought it up first, but my husband and I thought it'd be special to have someone photograph the birth of our child. I'm not talking National Geographic style photos but someone to capture the special moments between me and Patrick (my husband), me and our birthing team (midwife, assistant and doula) and most importantly when the two of us met our baby for the first time. Money was a little tight, but I fell in love with Suzy's work after spending time on her website. She agreed to meet with me and Patrick to discuss prices and what she offers. From there we created a package that made everyone happy. (We didn't include an album at the time, but I am definitely saving for one!) We started with a mini maternity session so that we could all get to know each other so that I'd feel comfortable having Suzy share such an intimate experience with me & Patrick. Fast forward to the birth... I planned on a home birth, but our daughter arrived faster than anyone could have imagined- so fast that my husband delivered/caught her. When Patrick called Suzy to inform her of our daughter's 1:30AM birth, Suzy still wanted to come and capture the first hours of Ilyanna's life. Before leaving, she asked if we would want her to come back in a week to photograph our new life as a family of three, which meant a lot to me, especially since I was a little bummed to not have our first interactions captured. One week later Suzy came to our home for those photos, and a couple weeks after that we went to her studio for an official newborn session. One of the things I love about Suzy's work is how beautifully she captures candid moments; however, I also love those sweet, posed newborn shots, and Suzy was up for taking them. After watching Suzy shush & rock Ilyanna in between shots, Patrick started referring to her as the "baby whisperer" and asked her if she'd want to babysit. We had so many precious pictures to choose from. As a new mama, her photos captured the beauty of being a new parent (as opposed to the sleep deprived, hormonal side ;) ). I was pleased with Suzy's turnaround time and my ability to easily share the photos with my family. Choosing pictures to print on canvases for the nursery was certainly challenging. They all turned out so well. I hope Suzy will be able to photograph future milestones for our family! After working with her, she's more than a photographer, she's become a friend. read more

Suzy is fantastic. She took our daughter's newborn pictures a year ago and we just did her one year photos today. It is a joy to work with her. I was extremely worried about the newborn shoot -- I had really no vision, I was worried it'd be awkward, I was worried that I would hate the way I looked. Not one of those things were a problem. Suzy knew exactly how we wanted our photographs to turn out, even though we didn't. She captured our daughter's essence and portrayed our family perfectly the way it was a year ago. I can't wait to see how the shoot turned out from today. It was just as fun as the first one -- and now she has a newborn sidekick of her own! :) read more

A deeply talented and wonderful human! Wouldn't go to anyone else for photos.

Suzy came highly recommended by a friend of mine who has a fantastic eye for photography. She wouldn't stop talking about the fact that Suzy photographs with real film and that she is such a warm, good person. My friend told me to follow her on instagram, which I did... and I saw this one black and white photo of a woman birthing in a tub with her husband behind her. The wife was squeezing her husband's hand just above the water, as she delivered their child. It was shot like photo journalism not baby photography. I almost cried when I saw it. I was having a home birth and I wanted to capture it, LIKE THIS, in this perfectly poetic, raw, stripped down way. I knew she could do it. I knew she saw something that many other highly skilled photographer's could miss. However, I was nervous about having a total stranger in the room with me. I had chosen specific midwives, a peaceful, loving doula and I didn't want any random vibe in the room with us. Then I spoke with Suzy on the phone, and knew that she was exactly the kind of person and energy you want in the room while giving birth. It's hard to describe what that energy is but she's got, she's all heart and she photographs with a love of capturing the beauty in real moments, real life. She asked for payment upfront, which makes sense because, are you really interested in paying for anything right after you give birth? NO. Heck no. Also, she was ON CALL for our son's birth and freeing up her schedule to make sure she wouldn't be double booked. I myself am an Interior Designer and I ask for a 25 hour retainer up front because people don't always like an artist's justification of time spent, and though I've not had many issues in the billing department there are always people who decide they don't want to pay you or run out of money AFTER you've done all the work. From a purely financial perspective, my husband doesn't like to spend money on anything that doesn't hold value or wouldn't be a smart investment, he wasn't sold on paying someone to snap some pics of the birth, but let me say again, that is NOT what she does. She captures beauty, fleeting beauty. So earlier I said I was planning a homebirth, unfortunately my son wasn't and we ended up in the hospital last minute. I texted Suzy to tell her that we weren't feeling like being photographed all of a sudden. She said no worries, we'll figure it out! She came by when our baby boy was 6 days old and we literally spent the entire day with Suzy. We had a handful of different vignettes and ideas for her, some of which included my naked infant on a coffee table sized stack of books, naked infant in front of blocks that spell his name, naked infant on ikea sheep skin with sepia tone family photos surrounding him etc. She let me change out his outfit 2 or 3 times and captured the brand new love we all felt with him snuggled up with me and his daddy. Suzy asked us to turn up the heat so he would be warm, she made a swishing whistle noise to calm him down so we could fold his little, sleeping body into the perfect pose. She was MAGIC and so loving, intuitive and careful. Getting those perfect baby poses takes time! She worked tirelessly and it was clear that she fully understood how important it was to capture his tiny, sleepy little newborn self, she stayed until the sun went down and kept switching from colored film to black and white. She also took my request of photographing my son on my naked chest. I had wanted the raw, half naked beauty of a home water birth and his skin against mine. The photo she took of us is private, but for me it's healing. I got everything I needed and wanted in seeing that series of photographs. Everyone who saw our photos on facebook were gushing over how incredible the photos were. We made photobooks for family members and everyone got a framed photo last year for Christmas. These photographs went a long way. And... my husband, he thanked me for talking him into hiring a photographer. Our son is 6 months old now and that tiny one week old moments slipped away so quickly, these photos are so meaningful and special to us and I can't imagine anyone else capturing him quite like Suzy did. I hope to try again for a homebirth next time and I hope Suzy will be there with us. read more

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I worked with Suzy on a casting call from the Medela brand. She was such a pleasure to work with! She made me feel at ease, be comfortable in front of a camera, directed me through the shoot, and most importantly feel so proud of myself. The Medela brand is huge in the pregnancy and breastfeeding realm and I am so excited to have been a part of it! I got to try on lots of different products and the reps from the company were very knowledgeable. They picked a great set location right in the city. I would absolutely jump at any future opportunities to work with Suzy! Her photos absolutely showcase her talent. read more

Suzi photographed my family (ages 6, 4 and 8 months), and I am so happy with the images. She was patient and easy to work with. She did a great job entertaining the kids and was able to quickly get all the shots. I loved collaborating with Suzi and highly recommend her. read more

I have had Suzy over three times now for pics. First, maternity photography, second, for my newborn and third, for my baby's 8 month pics. Obviously if I have used Suzy three times, it's because I love her work. She is AMAZING with newborns and babies alike. You can tell her what you do or don't like and she will listen to your ideas. She captures great moments and I'm sure we will have her back out for our child's first birthday. I think her prices are very reasonable and I like that she allows you to purchase all the pictures so you can post them on facebook, print, or just do whatever you want with them. read more

Update - After reading my review on Yelp, I received a call from Suzy. She was very apologetic about not getting back to me (something personal came up) and then spent a good deal of time on the phone with me, talking through options, etc. Certainly appreciated the call-back! read more

Suzy takes beautiful photographs; they are art. Suzy took our Belly to Birth and First Year of Life photos for our first child (total of 7 sessions). We cherish these photos and enjoyed building a strong relationship with Suzy. Unfortunately our recent experience has not been nearly so beautiful. In May, we successfully scheduled our second Belly to Birth package. However, when October came we had not heard from Suzy and we contacted her to ensure our maternity session would occur soon, only to receive a very disappointing response; she couldn't/wouldn't be taking our birth photos due to "scheduling changes". She didn't call, but emailed this troubling news on a Sunday (as a general rule Suzy does not have client communication on Sundays) and she made it specifically clear in this email that she would not be available to communicate further for the rest of the day. We were 10 weeks from our holiday season birth and now were disappointed, angry and anxious without the ability to immediately communicate. Suzy did recommend a substitute for the birth photos and indicated the substitute would be available. However, when we contacted the substitute the next day she indicated she would be on vacation for our birth. Suzy did not have a back up for the birth as most birth photographers and doulas do in case of emergency. Suzy also stated that she would still be available for our maternity and newborn sessions if we wanted; however we have made two unreturned phone calls over the last two weeks to discuss with no response from Suzy. We are now 7 weeks from our holiday season birth and feel dismissed and angry that our second child will not have the same Simply by Suzy photographs. We also feel angry because one of the things that Suzy states on regular basis is how important relationships are to her. She has not treated our family or our photographs with respect or integrity. read more

I can't say enough amazing words about Simply by Suzy! My husband and I were lucky enough to have Suzy capture many of the important "firsts" in our lives - our first pregnancy (in a maternity session), the birth of our first child, our son's first week of life (in a newborn session) and now our baby boy 12 months later (in a one-year photo shoot). Clearly we are fans! Suzy is so much more than a photographer; she has become like family to us. On top of that, she is organized, affordable, timely and, above all, amazing at what she does! My husband and I are far from creative, and Suzy is great about coming up with artistic ideas that really suit our family...and seem natural at the same time! My son loves her, too, as she is very patient, loving and FUN. If you want a photographer that you do not have to direct, Suzy is your girl! Her artistic ability is incredible, and she never ceases to amaze me when I receive my photos - each one is more beautiful than the next. My family is so lucky to have found Suzy, and we will definitely utilize her services for many, many years to come. read more

As my oldest turns 7 this fall, I can't believe how fast those years have gone. I have thousands of digital pics of my kids stored on iphoto as all moms do. But none of those pictures capture the love we feel for our kids or the true essence of who they are like the pictures Suzy has taken of them and us as a family. We will never get that time back with our kids but we have these unbelievably beautiful photos to look back on. Suzy is a true talent and takes her photography to another level. All you have to do is look at the pictures on her website and her blog to know she is the best out there. She is so easy to work with and has a gentle sweet way with the kids. You'll never want anyone else to take photos after you see what she can do. And that is what is so nice. You can call her over the years to capture all those special moments in life. I really can't say enough glowing things about her and what she delivers. She is worth every penny. read more

We just finished our first series of sessions (maternity, newborn, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months) with Suzy and couldn't be happier! I say first because we will definitely be using her again! Not only do we have beautiful pictures that capture these precious moments in our daughter's life, but we've gained a great friend in the process. Thanks for everything, Suzy! read more

This really should be a ten star review because I have never worked with a more talented, professional and overall wonderful photographer than Suzy. I have worked with Suzy on two occasions with a third session booked. The first was a maternity session. At 39 weeks pregnant, swollen and extremely uncomfortable, Suzy managed to not only make me feel beautiful but also incredibly comfortable in front of the camera. The second was a newborn hospital session, when my baby was just 24 hours old. Welcoming Suzy into our hospital room was the best decision as she brilliantly captured those very first moments. Every single photo from the shoot is a treasure. Our third and upcoming shoot is going to be a blast - it's a newborn session for our now two-month-old, who is growing by the minute. Our photos from Suzy will be cherished in our family for generations and I cannot recommend her or her work highly enough. Thank you, Suzy! read more

Simply By Suzy Photography - Suzy working her magic in our nursery! (The photos from this pre-baby maternity shoot were amazing!) - Photographers Near Me

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Suzy is simply AMAZING!!!! We used her for the first time for maternity photos and absolutely loved her work so we hired her again for newborn photos of our baby, 6 month photos, 9 month photos and recently for 1 year photos of our little boy. We love every single photo that she takes. She is extremely talented and we will continue using her for years to come to capture such special moments of our lives. I wish my husband and I would have met her earlier as we would have definitely hired her to take our wedding photos. Suzy has become more like family to us and we are so glad that we were introduced to her through mutual friends. She is fantastic with newborns and children, she makes it look so easy!! We highly recommend her to our family and friends! If you hire Suzy, you will not be disappointed, guaranteed! read more

I first met Suzy with Simply by Suzy last year and felt like we could be instant friends! Such a sweet, fun-loving person. Suzy came over before scheduling a photo shoot just to get to know us better and I am convinced this is what makes her work so captivating. She strives to know her subjects and therefore is able to capture the most intimate, real moments that truly reflect our personality. We've hired Suzy for maternity photos and then again for photos of our newborn daughter. I was very impressed with the speed at which we received the photos from each shoot and were able to have them printed. I cannot wait to frame them! Hire Suzy for any of life's precious moments... her photography is one of the best investments you will make. read more

Suzanne Brown did an exceptional job with our newborn, Connor. Her work speaks for itself, as creative and artistic, and I can attest to her professionalism and gentle demeanor necessary when dealing with babies. I highly recommend her, as she goes above and beyond to work with your schedule, cognizant of what sort of time-frame a "new mom" is on (with feedings, and sleep schedules) to ensure there's enough time to acquire all the images envisioned. She set expectations on when to expect final images, and delivered above and beyond. I was impressed and thrilled with our final product! read more

Suzie is fabulous. She is kind, sweet, generous and professional and these qualities really shine through in all aspects of her work. Our experience with her was wonderful. I am really impressed. The photos of our newborn and family are beautiful treasures we have to remember this special time in our lives. So lucky to have found her, we are planning to use her again. read more

I would recommend Simply by Suzy a hundred times over. Suzy comes into your home and makes you feel completely comfortable while capturing the simple beauty of your family. Suzy works with you on your vision of what you want from a session but also does a nice job of providing you that expert opinion. But, at the end of the day, Suzy is our friend now and that's what makes our time together so enjoyable. She comes in, takes some shots and stays for coffee - and the end result is more than you could ever imagine. She is a professional, an extremely talented photographer, friend and so much more. As I say over and over again, I'm thankful for Suzy every day. She has given my family something that could never be replaced... the beautiful gift of capturing memories that will never be forgotten. Happy to give live recos as well if someone would like to hear more about our time together! Courtney B. read more

We LOVED working with Suzy and the photos of our newborn are absolutely beautiful. We received a newborn session as a gift and working with Suzy was easy and fun. She brought great ideas and creativity to our home and was extremely sweet, professional, and flexible with our son's schedule. Our family and friends love the images as much as we do, and we would highly recommend her to anyone looking for an artistic and personalized experience. read more

We absolutely love Suzy's work. We have had her do our maternity and newborn photos for both our kids and have been more than happy with the results. She was very patient with our 2 1/2 year and got some amazing shots of our family. We would highly recommend her for any of your photography needs not just maternity and newborn photos. read more

Just like every other review...all I can do is rave about Suzy!! My fiancé and I recently got engaged and one of the first things I did was hire Suzy. I didn't even look at any other photographers because I had already seen her work among all of my girlfriends and their families. However, when it came to the day of our engagement shoot I was so nervous...we were going to have these pictures forever, what if they didn't turn out the way I wanted?? I was ridiculous because we had the best time! Suzy was so fun and warm and made us feel so comfortable. Within the time she started to the time she finished we walked away with a new friend. She is "simply amazing". We received our photos back a few days ago and I was in awe. She captured us to perfection...she chose our location based off our initial meet and greet and I couldn't have imagined anything more perfect. She understands and listens to her clients...it's rare to find someone with such talent that is also so gracious and humble. I can't thank her enough for giving us images and memories that will last a lifetime. Thank you Suzy!! If this was just our engagement shoot...I can only imagine what is in store for our wedding!!! read more

Suzy was recommended to me by a fellow photoghraphy who was unable to schedule a maternity + newborn combo session. For me it was a first-time investment in a professional photography session, and I was anxious about everything, particularly the cost, but I went with the recommendation and booked two sessions with Suzy (mini maternity and newborn). I could not be happier with the results, or more satisfied with Suzy's professionalism, artistic eye, and "bang-for-your-buck." Here are the reasons I will go back to Suzy for future family photo sessions, and why I give her 5 stars and recommend her unreservedly: (1) first and foremost, Suzy is absolutely terrific with infants. I can't imagine a more loving and patient individual, and I was in awe of how effortlessly she devoted multiple hours to photographing my newborn son. (2) Suzy is a consummate professional, extremely reliable, and easy to work with; she refers to her style as photojournalistic (rather than studio-based and posed), and she has a very artistic eye--the photo gallery she put together for us was superior to anything that could have been done in a studio. (3) Suzy comes to you (a particular treat for the newborn session)! At first I wanted a studio experience, but in hindsight I am so grateful for the shots in our own home and neighborhood, and doubly grateful that I didn't have to transport my 10-day-old son to a studio in January weather. (4) Finally, Suzy is kind and personable--precisely the kind of individual you want to invite into your home to spend time with your family. If you're considering the investment of family photographs, make an appointment with Suzy. You'll love the results. read more