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Lens and Soul | Meet Photographer Susan Stripling

Author: Libby - Printique by Adorama

New York City wedding photographer Susan Stripling is one of the most sought-after names in the wedding industry, known for her award-winning photography that blends timeless elegance with modern artistry and dramatic light.

She is an Explorer of Light with Canon and is now part of the Adorama Collective. Oh, let’s not forget she a has been named one of the top ten wedding photographers in the world by American Photo Magazine. But through all the accolades and awards, she continues to share her knowledge and uplift those who are just starting out in the wedding industry.

So we are going to spend a little time getting to know this proud mom, former theater kid and bibliophile who has an incredible story and legacy.

Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m based in NYC, but my work takes me all over the world for weddings. I’ve been photographing professionally for over twenty years, which feels wild to say out loud because in many ways I still feel like I’m just getting started.

Now my days are a mix of photographing weddings, portraits, and theatre, teaching other photographers, and working on personal projects. I’ve been named a Canon Explorer of Light, which is one of those completely humbling pinch-me career moments. I’m part of the Adorama Collective alongside colleagues whose work just blows my mind. My work has been published in places like Inside Weddings, Martha Stewart Weddings, and The New York Times.

I have two amazing kids and a fantastic partner. I have two dogs and two cats who are my tiny best friends. I love reading more than anything, recently got certified to be a scuba diver, and spend my spare time swimming and adding house plants to the apartment. I love really focusing on living and caring for myself because I think the better of a person I am, the more I know and learn, the better I am at my craft.

How did you get into photography?

It started way back with theatre production in college. I had a camera—nothing fancy—and I wanted to photograph the people I was working with, the set changes, the way the stage lights hit the floor. It was just for me at first, a way to document a world I loved. But then I started noticing how much I liked the act of making the images, not just having them. I liked figuring out how to make a picture feel the way a moment felt in real life.

After I graduated I was living in Florida with my husband and young daughter and a colleague of his asked if I wanted to shoot her wedding. Knowing almost nothing about photography, I said yes – then panicked. I had a few months to learn as much as I could before her wedding and the second I devoted myself to studying the craft I was in love.

When I started shooting weddings, it felt familiar. Weddings have a rhythm, a timeline, an emotional arc, and—most importantly—no retakes. It’s a live event, just like theatre. You have to anticipate moments before they happen, adjust instantly when something changes, and keep your cool no matter what. That crossover between my theatre experience and wedding photography is why I fell in love with it so quickly.

Define your style.

I always say my style is a mix of documentary storytelling and editorial polish. I’m there to capture what’s real—the moments you can’t plan, the looks no one notices except me—but I also love creating portraits that feel intentional and crafted without looking stiff. I’m obsessed with light, so whether it’s natural light streaming through a window or flash I’ve set up in a reception space, I’m thinking about how it shapes the mood of the image.

I also try to disappear into the day whenever I can. The more people forget I’m there, the more real the moments are. But when it’s time to step in—say, to create a portrait or help someone feel comfortable in front of the camera—I’m right there, guiding in a way that feels natural and relaxed. The end result is a mix of unscripted moments and timeless images that still feel like you.

What’s in your bag when you photograph?

I shoot with Canon mirrorless cameras—right now the R5’s are my workhorses—and a set of lenses that cover me for anything the day throws at me. All of my lenses are Canon RF lenses, and my favorites are (in no particular order) the 50mm f/1.2, 85mm f/1.2, 27-70mm f/2.0, and 100mm macro.

Lighting-wise, I use whatever tool best fits the situation. Sometimes that’s soft, directional window light. Sometimes it’s a Canon speedlight on-camera to catch a fast-moving moment. And sometimes I bring out my Flashpoint strobes to create something more dramatic. I don’t believe in having “one” way to light everything—the fun is in figuring it out on the spot.

When I started out, there wasn’t nearly as much open sharing in the photography industry as there is now. I learned lighting the long way—lots of trial and error, lots of frustrating days where I knew what I wanted but not how to make it happen. Posing was the same. I didn’t want my clients to look stiff or over-posed, but I also knew they needed guidance. Over the years I found educators whose resonated with my style and they helped me refine the techniques I was working to perfect.

Teaching others what I’ve learned is my way of giving photographers the tools I wish I’d had from the start. Lighting and posing aren’t about tricks—they’re about understanding how to make people feel comfortable and how to create an image that feels alive. When another photographer tells me they used something I taught them and it completely changed their confidence, that’s the best part.

Why are tangible prints and albums important to your clients?

My parents have an entire end table full of old albums. Everything from digital books to images tucked behind yellowing plastic. If I close my eyes I can see them, and I love looking through them every time I visit.

We live in a world where everything is on a screen, phones, laptops, tablets. It’s great for convenience, but it’s not the same as holding something in your hands. I can scroll through thousands of images on my phone in seconds, but when I sit down with an album, I slow down. I take my time. My clients tell me they feel the same way.

Albums and prints become part of a home. They’re on the wall, they’re on the coffee table, they’re something kids grow up flipping through. Years from now, when tech changes and formats disappear, those printed photographs will still be there. I love that my clients see them as family heirlooms, not just as decor.

There is such beauty in a well-crafted, handmade book. These albums will stand the test of time and be in my clients’ hands and their family’s hands for years to come.

What piece of advice would you give your youngerself?

I’d tell myself to stoprushing. In the beginning, I wanted everything to happen all at once. I wanted to be booked solid, have perfect gear, make perfect images. But the truth is, every step of the process matters. The slow years, the experiments that didn’t work, the jobs I almost didn’t take—they all taught me something that shaped the photographer I am now.

I’d also tell myself to not neglect my life. I was so obsessed and focused on work for so many years that I missed out on opportunities to be with my friends, see new places, and learn new things. I don’t regret a second of that work but it’s really, truly important to nurture yourself as much as you nurture the work you create. After all, there is no art without the artist!