Rebuilding After Loss
Hello Beautiful Souls,
It’s been a while, hasn’t it?
The past five or six years have been an intense journey—one that has shaped me in ways I never expected. As I reintroduce myself and my work, I want to take a moment to reflect on this time and share where I’m headed in 2025.
In 2019, my world shifted when I lost my mom and grandma. They were my foundation, the people who shaped so much of who I am. Their passing left me feeling unmoored, and not long after, the pandemic swept in, amplifying the uncertainty and grief. Just as I was starting to rebuild myself, life brought another profound loss—a little less than a year ago, my dad passed away unexpectedly.
a few pics of my mom and one of my grandma and I <3
Dad was the guy who was always there, offering a helping hand without hesitation. My brother and I did everything we could to support him in his final days because that’s what he had always done for us. Losing him was hard in ways I’m still processing, but it also reminded me of the strength and love he instilled in me.
Not to many pics of just dad but he loved mom and would do anything for her.
Before all of this loss, I was already feeling stuck in my work. Back in 2019, I realized I wasn’t growing the way I wanted. My creativity felt stagnant, and I wasn’t inspired. Then came the body image boot camp I attended, and for the first time in a long time, I felt deeply connected to my purpose. But life had other plans, and I stepped away from photography to navigate my grief and health challenges, some of which I now know stemmed from anxiety and not pursuing what truly lights me up.
As I stand here at the beginning of 2025, my word for the year is restore. In the past, I’ve chosen words like heal, and while healing remains a constant process, restore feels like the next step. It’s about rebuilding myself, my work, and my connection to what matters most.
This year, I’m excited to reimagine my photography offerings. While I’ll be doing limited sessions, I’m also introducing a new style of photography—sessions that are about more than capturing a beautiful image. They’re about helping you reconnect with yourself, celebrating your authentic self, and documenting the journey to finding you.
These sessions will be deeply personal and empowering, inspired by my own process of rebuilding after loss and reconnecting with my purpose. I believe photography has the power to be transformative—not just for me as the photographer, but for you as the subject.
Looking ahead, I’m filled with hope. I’m eager to embrace this next chapter, to create meaningful work, and to help others see themselves in a new light. Thank you for being here, for reading this, and for supporting me as I step back into the work that fills my soul.
Here’s to restoration, connection, and authenticity in 2025.
With love,
Susie