“A photograph is neither taken or seized by force. It offers itself up.” 

Henri Cartier Bresson

“The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.” 

Dorothea Lange

"It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera… They are made with the eye, heart and head."

Henri Cartier Bresson

"Available light is any damn light that is available!"

Eugene Richards

about me

Narrative storytelling

Susie remains grateful to the many people all over the world who have allowed her into their lives. She believes visual storytelling only works well when it's a collaboration between the subject and the documentary photographer. She respects the dignity of those she photographs. Her strength is seeing the small moments that connect us as human beings while portraying the complicated issues we face today.

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“Only that day dawns to which we are awake.”

Henry David Thoreau

Each semester I put Thoreau's quote at the top of my syllabi at Duke. It fits perfectly with a quote from Henri Cartier Bresson: "It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera... They are made with the eye, heart and head."  Understood together, these quotes describe my perspective about documentary photography. Whether I am doing documentary work or teaching it, I believe we have to be awake to our situation in order to see it, document it or even live it in a genuine way. —Susie Post-Rust

Documentary
Portfolio

Photography

Documentary projects from four continents, ranging from National Geographic stories to nonprofit work on AIDS.

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Education
Portfolio

classes

See student work produced at Duke's Center for Documentary Studies where Susie has worked since 2003.

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Highway 70
Project

Current project

This is the most exciting area of the site because Susie is currently working on this project. Come see what is evolving in this work in progress!

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