Award-winning fine art photographer Susan Burnstine joins this episode to discuss her journey from Hollywood film production to becoming a full-time artist whose haunting dreamlike photographs are created with cameras she built herself.
In this conversation, Susan shares how childhood night terrors and her mother’s artistic guidance shaped her creative process. She reflects on her years working in the film industry, the turning point that brought her back to photography, and the moment she first captured the aesthetic she had been searching for.
The discussion explores her approach to symbolism, intuition, and dream imagery in photography, the experience of building her own cameras, and the importance of creating from the heart rather than technical perfection. Susan also talks about mentoring artists, teaching creativity, and how her definition of success has changed over time.
Website: http://www.susanburnstine.com/
*Shownotes*
Growing up in Chicago and studying photography in high school
Being inspired by films shot at her school and developing an interest in visual storytelling
Early experience working for a professional photographer
Choosing filmmaking and moving to Hollywood
A personal tragedy that shifted her perspective and led her back to photography
Childhood night terrors and using art to cope with fear
Recreating dreams through photography as a form of healing
Discovering toy cameras like the Holga and learning to photograph intuitively
The challenge from her father that led her to build her own cameras
Developing a prototype camera and capturing the first successful image
Using dream imagery, symbols, and metaphor in photography
Creating photographs that allow viewers to form their own interpretation
Teaching photography and helping artists discover their own creative voice
Working with students online around the world
Building a career as a full-time artist for over twenty years
Publishing monographs and exhibiting work internationally
Embracing imperfection as an essential part of creativity
The influence of impressionism and pictorialism on her photography
Defining success through self-expression and living life on her own terms
*Memorable Quotes*
“Toy cameras teach you to shoot differently — to shoot from your heart, not your head.”
“When you’re looking through a view camera, you’re not seeing what you’re really shooting, so you have to go with your instinct.”
“I wanted to recreate the dream world in a positive light rather than the negative night terrors.”
“Imperfection is perfection to me.”
“Life is so messy. Life is so imperfect.”
“Once I put the image out in the world, it should be your own experience.”
“Sometimes when I hit the shutter, I just know.”
“I teach what you know. I help people discover what is unique about them.”
“The essence of creativity just happened in front of me.”
“Success is about achieving self-expression on my own terms.”
“I’ll leave this life and say I lived the life I wanted to live.”
What is I Love Your Stories- Conversations with Artists and Creatives with Hava Gurevich?
I Love Your Stories is a soulful conversation series hosted by artist and creative guide Hava Gurevich, where art meets authenticity. Each episode invites you into an intimate dialogue with artists, makers, and visionaries who are courageously crafting lives rooted in creativity, purpose, and self-expression.
From painters and poets to healers and community builders, these are the stories behind the work—the moments of doubt, discovery, grief, joy, and transformation. Through honest, heart-centred conversations, Hava explores how creativity can be both a healing force and a path to personal truth.
If you’re an artist, a dreamer, or someone drawn to a more intuitive and intentional way of living, this podcast will remind you that your story matters—and that the act of creating is a sacred, revolutionary act.