Meet Shana Sureck

Photographer Shana Sureck Headshot

My Story

It all began with a Pentax K1000. I was a scruffy 15-year-old living in New York City. I had an insatiable curiosity – and a great teacher named Benedict J. Fernandez.

I loved photographing people then, and I love photographing them now. It’s not just about capturing people with my camera, but rather listening with the fullness of my being to the stories they tell of their lives. The people I met back then were full of stories that touched me deeply. I was learning about life in the first person.

Fast forward a few years, and I had established a successful career in photojournalism. I spent 20 wonderful years working at the Hartford Courant, where I was paid to do what I love: make photographs. I traveled nationally and internationally for stories, but my deepest happiness came from wandering the towns of Connecticut, searching for the extraordinary in the ordinary. Whether I was photographing a gubernatorial inauguration, the first hair cut in a New Britain barbershop, prison overcrowding, or the philanthropist changing children’s lives in Hartford’s schools, each photograph became a preserved memory that tells a story.

I won awards, but the greatest joy came from the respect and trust I earned with people in the community who shared their lives with me. I felt a responsibility to translate their experiences into a dignified, authentic story.

Fast forward again. It’s 2008, the fall of print journalism. I took a buyout from the newspaper and started my own business, dedicated to making the highest quality editorial images for clients. These clients ranged from schools and colleges to non-profits, Jewish organizations, and people celebrating life milestones. I’m as passionate about education – especially urban education – as I am about documenting coming-of-age ceremonies.

I love all things learning, and I love ritual. I bring to my work a storytelling vision that crosses genres. I feel the same passion for photographing a young girl at her bat mitzvah, lifted up on a chair above her family and friends dancing the hora, as I do about candidly documenting third graders hungry for learning. I am equally passionate about helping professionals visually tell the story of their business to form a deeper connection with customers as I am about photographing non-profits working to serve the underrepresented corners of society. I simply have a passion for life as it’s lived.

Shana headshot
Bridgeport Academy Elementary (Shana Sureck Photography)

Photography for Business, Non-Profits and Education

Photography is an ideal way for businesses, non-profits and educational institutions to raise awareness for their mission and services. Professional photographs can be used on your website, social media pages, newsletters, press releases and all promotional materials to help attract new customers, volunteers, donors, students and educators. Photography is also a necessity for businesses looking to improve their branding and transparency in order to better connect with consumers. My photography services include event coverage, portraits, branding and simply capturing candid shots that celebrate the heart, the people and the spirit of your unique organization.

Smith School for Social Work Summer Lecture Series: Margarita Alegria

Shana Sureck Photography is dedicated to telling the story of your business, non-profit, school or special event through documentary-style photographs.

Covering all of Massachusetts and Connecticut, our photography services will capture the unique and memorable aspects of your organization or event.