Looking back, Suzan Mandla is unsure whether it was her natural curiosity and love for minutiae that inspired her career as a research scientist, or if it was that occupation that drew out her eye for detail. Regardless, it is this knack for noticing the often overlooked that drives Suzan’s current photography career.

Suzan attributes her switch in career paths to her father’s passing, a turning point where she asked herself if she was truly happy with where she was headed. “Lets face it none of us really know how long we’ve got and what our quality of life is going to be during that time that we have left. There was kind of a push for me to take that leap, so I leapt.”

Throughout the past five or six years Suzan has taught herself the art of photography, and with it a philosophy of living in the moment. “You really get to do that through the lens of a camera. It’s like everything else just fades away and you’re just so connected and invested in what’s right in front of you.”

Suzan once spent weeks engrossed in discovering the fine details and beauty in her own backyard. As she says, “You don’t have to go far to find something extraordinary. We become sort of immune to the beauty that is immediate if we’ve always lived among it.”

Currently, photography serves both as a passion-driven career and a stress outlet for Suzan. Above all, this art form inspires her life philosophy. “You need to remind yourself that time is ephemeral, and you have to take advantage of what’s in front of you. Take those opportunities. Live in the moment. Enjoy this moment. It will never come again.”

Author: Jane Skrypnek