My Journey

My Journey

As a child I always painted and made things. At school and college I carried this on; drawing, painting, designing and using linear editing machines to make short films. It was around this time I began constructing shoots using my friends as models for media and art projects.

Throughout my early education, I always excelled in the artistic and subjects that engaged critical thought and social theory. I was and still am, essentially an artist; photography is my chosen form of expression.

I had always had an interest in photography, but it was during my Foundation year at the University of the Arts London, I discovered the darkroom and I basically never came out; I would spend most days like a vampire. The whole of my foundation show was photography. From then on, my creativity was all focused on photography and as my technical range grew, my work developed and my love grew from strength to strength. I completed my Foundation and was awarded a Distinction. I then went on to study Photography at London Guildhall University, graduating in 2004 with a 1st BA Honours degree.

After leaving university, I longed to take my lense around the world and so I took a 12 month contract working in an office to save up and then went travelling. As well as taking some nice pictures, I also met my husband and now father of our two children.

Immediately upon our return in 2006, I got to work on building up my commercial photography business, then known as Suzannah Lea Photography (my maiden name). We lived in London then and while setting up, I worked simultaneously in various jobs, anything that would fit in with my photography. Every hour outside of the day job was spent shooting, editing and dreaming of the next bit of equipment I could buy. I had many a night editing until the dawn and then would go straight out on my merry way to work. The love of what I do was the thing that carried me through those times, that and coffee! Suit and heels by day, camera by night! I also exhibited and sold work out of a gallery in East Dulwich on the street where we lived.

I worked in various companies, from a small PR agency, to a corporate international communications company and pretty much everything in-between. I have worked in both the public and private sectors. I met some amazing people and got to work on some incredible projects, but for me it was all about getting home to my camera and building up the career I truly love.

Having worked in various environments, I learnt a lot about company culture and the different needs of various sized businesses and sectors. That understanding has carried through to my commercial photography work. It has also given me a broad knowledge of how business works, which has helped me in setting up my own business and helping others do the same when working with startups.

In early 2009, we moved back to my hometown, Haslemere in Surrey, to set up home and start a family and I began to shoot in the Surrey area as well as London. On 22nd of July 2016, I launched a total rebrand of my business under my married name Ginders, to mark my full return to work having previously scaled back during my maternity.

I plan to build and expand my business over the coming years and continue to develop and grow through my photography. I look forward to all the people I shall meet and being part of their journey too. Get in touch! Exciting times.