Behind the Business: Susanna Tanner Photography – More Than a Portrait

For Susanna Tanner, every photograph is more than a portrait, it’s a reflection of who someone truly is. Her Richmond-based studio has become a place where people show up not just to take pictures, but to be seen.

Her journey to photography started in a very different world. After college, Susanna worked in videography and television, taking internships and jobs at stations in Kansas City, Indianapolis, and Lexington. The work was fast-paced and demanding, but over time, the weight of constantly covering difficult stories began to take its toll. “I was really tired of chasing fire trucks and reporting on things that were always more negative than positive,” she recalls. “I wanted to focus on the good, on people’s real lives.”
​
When she returned home to Richmond, there wasn’t a similar opportunity waiting, so she decided to pivot. Using the skills she’d developed behind the camera; Susanna began experimenting with still photography. She took workshops, studied under other photographers, and over time built a business that blended her technical expertise with her love of storytelling. She formalized her studio as an LLC and balanced it alongside her marketing work until 2020, when she decided to take the leap and make photography her full-time career.

---

Susanna describes her photography style as “soul searching.” Her goal is to reveal who someone is on the inside, not just what they look like. “Anyone can take a picture with their phone,” she says. “What I want to do is show who someone really is.” That process starts long before the camera comes out. She spends time with clients through phone calls and in-studio consultations, helping them choose clothing, understand lighting, and uncover their “why.” Her studio is intentionally designed to be a safe space, one where emotions are welcome. “There have been women with tears rolling down their cheeks during their session,” she says. “That’s okay. It’s safe. Whatever emotions come out, that’s part of the process, and it stays here.”

Lighting is at the heart of her craft. “That’s what separates a professional from an amateur, how you use light,” she explains. She loves experimenting with how light can flatter and illuminate a person’s best features. But what she loves most is the moment her clients see their images for the first time. “When they look at me and say, ‘Is that really me?’ that’s my favorite part,” she says. “We all get so used to how we look every day that we forget to see our own beauty.”

Today, Susanna specializes in personal branding, headshots, boudoir, and senior portraits. She’s recently returned to photographing weddings, but with a focus on small, intimate ceremonies. “At the end of the day, I just love photographing people,” she says. “Whether we’re in the Grand Canyon or in my studio, that’s what connects with my heart.”

---

​After taking her business full time, Susanna joined the Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce to align with other professionals and strengthen her business network. She now serves on the Chamber’s Marketing Task Force, where she contributes her 24 years of marketing experience to help improve visibility and member engagement. Through the Chamber Center for Excellence, she also found a way to make sponsorships for her 50 Over 50 Project tax-deductible, connecting her creative work with the broader community.

The 50 Over 50 Project is one of Susanna’s proudest achievements, a portrait series celebrating women aged 50 and older and amplifying their stories, lessons, and legacies. “There’s going to be a time when the woman in that photo isn’t here anymore, and her family will still have those images,” she says. “That means something.” The project has already brought together dozens of women, with Volume 2 now underway.
​
Every shoot, she says, leaves her changed in some way. “Every person brings their own story, and I walk away a little better for it,” she reflects. “That’s what keeps me going, those connections, that trust, and the chance to show people how beautiful they already are.”

---

Follow Along for Weekly Updates
Stay connected as we share more of Susanna Tanner Photography's story each day!
Follow us on Facebook , Instagram , and LinkedIn
Visit Susanna Tanner Photography
Susanna Tanner Photography
Become Part of the Story
Join the Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce today and be part of a thriving business community: Chamber Membership Benefits and Application