Welcome to suzyophotography! My name is Suzy Oliveira. I’m a wife, mother, photographer, and graphic designer located in Utah County.

Below are a few questions that I am frequently asked regarding my business. Use the scroll arrows near the text box to read all of the questions.

Q: Are you from Utah?

Yes. Although I have lived in Idaho and Florida.

Q: Is your name really “SuzyO”?

Yes. My mother loved those Suzy Q doughnut treats when I was born, and the hospital staff accidentally changed the Q to and O on my birth certificate. (Kidding!)

No, my name is Suzy Oliveira. I’m married to a Brazilian, and I could count on one hand how many people can actually spell my last name correctly…the first time! Remember “i” before “e” except after “c”? This rule doesn’t apply to my last name and me! ;-)

My maiden name is Tucker, so I guess I could have been “Suzy Tucker Photography”. However, out of my love for my husband, I wanted to incorporate his name, but also have my clients be able to remember (and pronounce) my business name. Hence, suzyo at suzyophotography was the solution.

Q: Did you attend photography school? College?

No and yes. I graduated with a finance degree from the Marriott School of Management at BYU. Although I LOVE calculating IRRs, NPVs, and balancing credits and debits, there is something about photography that has captured my heart. (However, let me know if you want to have a conversation about the fed funds rate…)

Q: How did you learn how to take pictures?

I’ve always been drawn to creative things. My entire life has been filled with creative and performing arts. Additionally, I worked for over four years in a marketing department while I was attending BYU, and I always admired the graphic designers and photographers.

After my daughter was born in 2005, I took a “snapshot” of her using some of the techniques I’d seen a few photographers use. I sent out the picture in her birth announcement…and everyone thought it was a professional picture! Gradually, friends asked me to take pictures of their children (all with a point-and-shoot), and ultimately I got my professional camera, lenses, and a few props. The rest is history.

Q: How did you learn Photoshop and the technical aspects of photography?

By reading a bazillion books. (Seriously!) I read, studied, applied, tried, failed, and tried again. I’m still trying. Every photo shoot is new; every shoot is different because the people are different. It adds an element of excitement to the shoots!

Q: What type of camera do you use?

Ahhh. I LOVE this question. I’m a Nikon girl, because I’ve never shot with anything else. (Unless you count my Olympus point-and-shoot!)

Q: Do you have kids?

Yes. I have two darling children: a three-year old girl, and a baby boy who will be one in December.

Q: Are you willing to travel?

Maybe. Once I became a mother, I also became THE most paranoid person on earth. (If you don’t believe me, you can ask a few of my friends about my paranoia!) It is almost funny. Anyway, yes, I will travel, but you’ll have to talk to me first...I need to statistically calculate the risk of the plane going down… (Just kidding!)

Q: How old are you?

Can I plead the fifth? (Is it the fifth?) I’m old enough to be married with two kids!