by Len Lear

Dr. Samuel Johnson, the genius author of the first English dictionary, once said that one should approach both love and cooking with reckless abandon. Perhaps the same thing could be said of photography. Someone else once said that photography is the art of observation. It has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.

Susannah Conner, 37, called “the Baby Whisperer” by some clients, is the owner of Brookside Baby, 1504 Bethlehem Pike, Flourtown. It is a boutique newborn and family portrait studio in a 100-year-old building that previously housed a video editing business, Tortuga Travel before that and a doctor’s office before that. She bought it at the end of 2016, renovated it for several months and opened Brookside Baby midway through 2017.

But now it is a place where magical things happen for parents of newborn babies and young children, who get to be photographed in poses and outfits that are straight out of fairy tales. Conner grew up in Glenside and Fort Washington, went to PhilMont Christian Academy and then the University of Delaware, where she earned a degree in fine arts photography. She appears to be the only professional photographer in the Delaware Valley who practices this particular specialty. And her clients are ecstatic.

For example, according to Caroline Read, of Springfield, “Brookside Baby did such a wonderful job with our baby girl’s first photo shoot. I loved everything about our experience! Conner has beautiful taste from baby clothing, photo shoot concepts, her studio, her packaging, etc.! I highly recommend her for any family wanting unique (and stress-free for parents) keepsakes!”

Another local resident, Kristina Kobryn, said, “I have now used Susannah twice to take pictures of my 3-year-old son. The first time we went on location, and she captured beautiful candid pictures of my son in the outdoors. The second time we had a Christmas session with Santa! ... My son really wasn’t in the mood for pics and was a bit scared of Santa, but Susannah got him smiling and managed to get pictures that look straight out of a fairy tale!”

After college, Conner came back to this area and lived in Mt. Airy and Chestnut Hill for 10 years. She then moved to Springfield, where she still resides. She went into social work in West Oak Lane and center city, working for nonprofit agencies dealing with behavioral health in children and housing programs for the homeless, all from 2002 to 2013.

Then she took a job at Abington Hospital photographing newborns for a photo company, sometimes putting in 12-hour days. In all of 2015 and half of 2016 she photographed 995 newborns but was not allowed to use props because of the fear of infection. Then she walked out on the edge of danger by opening her own photography studio.

Xavier is pictured with an African American Santa Claus because Conner insists that every year at Christmas time, she could not find a Santa Claus who looked anything like her son. “We were never solely a European nation,” she said, “and it’s time that our traditions start to reflect that.” (Photo by Susannah Conner)[/caption]

“I had an inkling to do this kind of work 14 years ago when my son, Kyle (who is now a 14-year-old student at Abington Friends School), was born … My son is African American and Caucasian, and like many people of mixed race, refers to himself simply as ‘mixed.’ I’m not sure that relates to the studio, other than that Brookside Baby is inclusive and affirming of all kinds of families.”

On Nov. 10, in fact, Conner held an event with an African American Santa Claus because she insists that every year at Christmas time, she could not find a Santa Claus who looked anything like her son. “As a culture embraces a tradition, it inevitably evolves,” she said. “We were never solely a European nation, and it’s time that our traditions start to reflect that.”

Conner’s studio in Flourtown is like the costume room backstage at a Broadway theater. She has every kind of tiny outfit and prop imaginable, and if she does not have what a parent wants, she will find a way to get it. For example, she photographed a baby with a llama (not a real llama but a photo-shopped one) because the baby's nursery at home was filled with llamas. Boy and girl twins might be photographed as Beauty and the Beast or Peter Pan and Tinkerbelle. A child might be photographed with the theme of his/her favorite picture book. A Christian/Jewish family might have their child photographed with a dreidel and candy cane or a menorah and Christmas tree for the holidays. Parents might just get one large piece of wall art or an album with 18 images or more.

“My goal is to celebrate life,” said Conner. “Life is precious, and we only get one go-round. These images are good for a child’s self-esteem. When they see their portrait on the wall, they will know they are a valued member of the family.”

According to Paige Borel, another client, “Susannah was amazing with our 3-year-old and kept her engaged the entire time. She made the entire session relaxed and fun, no easy feat with a 3-year-old, a newborn and sleep-deprived parents! We were in tears after the first picture, and the tears did not stop.”

And remember that you might be a photographer yourself if no matter what you are shopping for, you wonder to yourself, “Could I put a baby in that?”

For more information, call 215836-8800 or visit brooksidebaby.com