Susan Lei Burns
Susan Burns is co-founder of The West, Redefined, an international photo tour and post-production company based in Santa Fe, NM..and has been photographing as a passionate hobby for over 20 years. She is a graduate of the Art Institute in Chicago and the Students’ Art League in New York City … but is largely self-taught, having traveled the world capturing images of horses, African wildlife and indigenous cultures. But it is the image of the running horse in the wild that most inspires her.
“There is something magical about observing a horse that is free to roam, unencumbered by saddles, harnesses and rider… and if I can capture that portrait, that essence of complete freedom that the horse represents, I am quite moved.”
Over the years, she has traveled throughout her home state of Colorado, and to Wyoming, Montana, New Mexico and Utah… off the beaten track… to BLM (Bureau of Land Management) lands where mustangs still run free. But this is fast disappearing and she hopes, through her photographs, to instill a collective consciousness about the need to sustain our wild lands where wild horses can live in peace, unencumbered by the politics of agricultural and population expansion.
Her work has been recognized through various publications like Photographer’s Forum, Equine Photographer Network and the prestigious Black & White Spider Awards, but it is largely through private commission assignments, notable the Four Seasons Hotels, Explore Africa and archival work on exclusive private ranches throughout the West, where her work is displayed. In 2010, three of her photographs won Honorary Distinction at the prestigious Veolia
and BBC’s International Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
Susan’s other passion is Africa, particularly Zambia, where she has traveled extensively as a Board Member of Direct Impact Africa, a private foundation whose goal is to help fund and create community-run cooperatives and models for sustainable enterprises. The group’s other mission is to empower local women with training and start-up funds to create small businesses like handicraft and sewing co-ops. Susan’s current involvements include raising international awareness of the devastating, current poaching crisis involving the African elephant, and much of the proceeds from the sale of her wildlife images goes towards supporting elephant conservation projects.
Susan’s believes that to be current in today’s photography market, a multi-media approach to photographic presentations is essential… not just creating nice slide-shows of your work, but in dynamic, “moving stills” or videography, in combination with still images. An alumni of the Travel Channel, she is available for instruction in introductory videography using the Canon 5D, Mark 11 and in creating and editing short videos using Final Cut Pro.
Contact Susan: susanleiburns @ me.com