interviews

Myth:
How did you get started in photography?

Suza:
My father gave me a camera when I was 11 years old and after photographing one roll of film I was hooked for life.

Myth:
How did you come to the decision to write and photograph THE FAIRIES?

Suza:
I have always been mesmerized by myth, folklore, and magic. About 10 years ago I began to explore my fascination with these subjects through my photography. That was the catalyst for the creation of MYTH.COM. I needed to share the images I was making with others, and that was a wonderful way to start. MYTH.COM became popular quickly and after winning several awards for the site’s art and design we had quite a large audience. Because of my life long love of fairies, I'd been photographing them for a couple years and some of the images appeared on myth.com, so when the opportunity to photograph a book arose I knew fairies was the subject I wanted to explore.

Myth:
Have you ever seen a fairy?

Suza:
Yes, many times and I think that experience comes through in THE FAIRIES.

Myth:
How can I see fairies?

Suza:
Believe. It may sound corny, but it’s all about your perception of the world, which in turn, is the reality that you live.

Myth:
You use such rich color in you work, what’s behind that?

Suza:
My initial idea for the book, THE FAIRIES was that it was going to be filled with fairies of every color of the spectrum. For the simple reason that I absolutely love color and consider it my muse. It is a never-ending source of inspiration.

Myth:
Speaking of inspiration where and who do you draw yours from?

Suza:
Nature is an endless source of inspiration. My two previous books, are about our connection to nature and that we need to live in accord with nature, rather than try to control it. With THE WITCHES AND WIZARDS OF OBERIN the story is about an eclectic band of witches and wizards who collaborate with the elements to create magic. They are one with nature, like the original witches and wizards who built their belief system around the worship of Nature.

There are so many artists that inspire me: Botticelli, Edward Burnes-Jones, Michelangelo, Chagall, Sarah Moon, Julia-Margret Cameron, Nick Knight, to name a few. I have to mention The Metropolitan Museum of Art, it is amazing! It always inspires me.

Myth:
How did you decide on witches and wizards for your second book?

Suza:
It was a difficult decision, because I had 4 very strong ideas that I was very attached too. In the end, I felt witches and wizards was a nice departure from my first book, THE FAIRIES. The fact that the witches and wizards are magic makers was so appealing to me and the technical challenge to photograph magic made it irresistible. As I just mentioned, their alliance with nature is something that is very important to me.

Myth:
What is the underlying message of your books?

Suza:
There are a couple of underlying messages floating around the pages of my books with the intention of sending an uplifting message that magic, beauty and hope surround us everyday. By creating this dialogue with the reader I hope to open the possibility that a world(the unseen world) of fairies, wizards and other magical creatures exist within our world.

There is more to life than meets the eye.

Myth:
You mention the UNSEEN WORLD, can you explain what it is?

Suza:
I believe there are two worlds: the visible and the invisible. The invisible is the unseen world and it supports the visible world. It is the foundation of the whole thing. I’ve been asked many times how I can believe that fairies really exist since they aren’t readily visible to the human eyes. My answer is that most of the world believes in things you can’t see. It is an act of faith. I consider myself a modern day mythmaker, and my mission is to photograph the unseen world for others to see. And hopefully by seeing my photographs, the reader will ponder the subject and ask themselves the question, what if ....? By opening your mind to the endless possibilities and magic in life you are creating a space for that in your life.

Myth:
What is magic?

Suza:
Magic is a connection to the universal energy and the invisible world.

Myth:
What’s the story with witches, it seems like a dark topic?

Suza:
After researching the subject of witches I found quite the opposite to be true. THE WITCHES AND WIZARDS OF OBERIN is divided into the 5 elements: air, earth, fire, water and spirit- because the ancient witches and wizards magically combined these elements to conjure, transform and heal. The word Wicca or Witch comes from the Anglo-Saxon language and it means “wise one.” Their belief system is a Goddess-based Nature religion. I find the subject to be drenched in light and that is how I chose to portray it in my book.

Myth:
What can we expect to see from you next?

Suza:
I have recently come across something quite unexpected which has led me to a discovery that I will reveal in my next book. Since I am in the beginning stages of this new project, it is too delicate to discuss right now. As my progress develops I will share information about the project on MYTH.COM.

Myth:
Any parting words?

Suza:
Never lose hope. Life is magic. Choose love.