About me

I’m Sue Ryan, the photographer half of Sue Ryan Photography. My husband, Tom Morrison, transferred his exacting nuclear engineering genius to become the master printer and technical expertise half of Sue Ryan Photography. You’ll find us with our grown children and grandkids somewhere in the Colorado Front Range (completing our first 14er at age 60 in 2018), and laughing. A lot.

I am always interested in whether a person has pets, so I’ll tell you about ours. We have a Corgi named Queenie, a rescue cat named Tavi, and I’m working on Tom for a Great Pyrenees. Fingers crossed…

My first career was in critical care medicine - I ran respirators in open heart, transplant, burn units, and performed CPR every day. As I worked with patients in life-changing situations, family members would share their stories with me. I observed the dynamics, relationships, and glue that defined those individuals and families. I took this sensitivity and curiosity to the next level when I decided to explore such rich life stories and relationships via portraiture.

I’m deeply indebted to several mentors who taught, inspired, and influenced my work. Among them are Tim and Bev Walden (waldensphotography.com), Ted Grant (tedgrantphoto.com), and my large format and Zone System teacher and mentor Bruce McGarvey. Especially, thanks to my dad, Howard ‘Skip’ Kaltenbach, from whom I inherited the love of photography.

I am a Certified Professional Photographer (CPP), and a member of Professional Photographers of America, Professional Photographers of Colorado, and Professional Photographers Guild of Colorado Springs, and Texas Professional Photographers Association.

I am proud to be an affiliate Photographer for Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing professional portraiture for families experiencing stillbirth or newborn demise. Helping these families is truly a labor of love.