What?
Nature Photographer, gardener, outdoors person, animal lover (especially cats). Truth seeker: Who am I? Why am I here? What’s the purpose of life? These questions have been the driving force in my life from an early age on.
Why?
Photography (like many other art forms) is a way of expressing myself. It has opened my heart into seeing a beauty that my physical eyes cannot see.
Soul is the essence, the source of existence, the life force and the very fabric of this universe and every being in it.
Love, Beauty, Intuition are functions of the soul which take us out of the mind into the realm of heart and soul – if only for brief moments.
Most of us are so caught up in the mundane day to day living and the density of this physical world. We forget or are unaware of the magic and beauty surrounding us and need reminders.
As photographers we try to capture this perfect and oh so often fleeting moment. Some call a photograph a “moment frozen in time”. For me it is an ambivalent term as I want an image to be alive, fluid and vibrating. I want the viewer to get engaged with the viewed.
I want the viewer to experience something of the mystery and glory, grant him/her a peek behind the veil and discover a heightened sense of awareness and peace.
When my photography can be that reminder, that little nudge we all need it has served its purpose.“Art is the conversation between lovers.
Art offers an opening for the heart.
True art makes the divine silence in the soul
break into applause.” ~ Hafiz
How?
Being in nature has always been the best medicine for me to restore balance and harmony in my being. But it wasn’t until later in life that I was able to pick up a camera and capture those precious and fleeting moments nature can offer us. At the time I owned a greenhouse business and it was the flowers that captivated me with their beauty and colors. I am a completely self taught photographer and am still learning. In the beginning I was taking photos within a 5 – 10 mile radius as I didn’t have time to travel far. I was amazed what I found and how much beauty is right in front of us if we have the eyes (and lens) to see it. I enjoy shooting close-ups, nature abstracts and landscapes, pets and an occasional candid portrait.
Mystical poetry (like Rumi and Hafiz) are an important source of inspiration in my photography/art and so is my spiritual mentor/Master Ishwar Puri.
Bio:
As a teenager, explorations into the deeper meaning of life led her to join an ashram (spiritual community) in 1979 at age nineteen. In 1987 she transferred to an ashram in the United States, where she was able to focus her attention on growing plants, leading her to become the head grower of a large greenhouse complex. She left the ashram in 1999 and established her own flower gardens and nursery. Being surrounded by so much beauty inspired her passion for nature photography, and reading the poetry of mystics such as Rumi and Hafiz has enabled her to explore deeper dimensions within my work.
Susanne’s photographs have been shown in galleries and other places throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin where she has lived for the past 28 years. Her photos have been published in various magazines, calendars and books. She has published two Blurb books, Seeing Beauty – Photography as Visual Poetry and Allow What Is.
Links
email susanne@brucetel.net
website soulcenteredphotography.net
Etsy SoulCenteredPhotoart
“Let the Beauty we love be what we do.” (Rumi)
Linda K. Sienkiewicz is the author of the award-winning novel In the Context of Love, a story about one woman’s need to tell the truth without shame.
Angelica had always suspected there was something deeply disturbing about her family, but the truth was more than she bargained for.
Sarton Women’s Fiction Finalist
Eric Hoffer Book Award Finalist
Readers’ Favorite Finalist
USA Book News Best Book Finalist
Great Midwest Book Fest Honorable Mention.
“…at once a love story, a cautionary tale, and an inspirational journey.” ~ Bonnie Jo Campbell, author of National Book Award Finalist, American Salvage, and critically acclaimed Once Upon a River,and Mothers, Tell Your Daughters
“With tenderness, but without blinking, Linda K. Sienkiewicz turns her eye on the predator-prey savannah of the young and still somehow hopeful.” ~ Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of the #1 NY Times Bestseller, Deep End of the Ocean
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Susanne’s work is incredible and moving – from the smallest detail to the widest view of nature. Each image is pure magic and will move the viewer. As a owner of one of her books I can assure you she is guided by an extraordinary power. Beautiful work from a beautiful person.
Lovely profile – thanks for sharing
You’re welcome, Patricia. I’ve been amazed, too, by her work over the years. Thanks for stopping by!
Thank you kindly, Linda and Patricia. I wish I could meet you in person some day.
Susanne