Life behind the lens

Susan Gordon-Brown is a Melbourne-based freelance photographer known for her evocative portraiture and compelling documentary work. Her career spans more than three decades across Australia and the UK, and her exhibitions and commissions have captured untold stories—from Vietnam veterans and Soviet-era Hungarian refugees, to Australian tradespeople in Antarctica.

Susan's journey into photography was unconventional. After finishing school in 1986, she enrolled in a court-reporting course, before travelling widely and working in bars, hospitals, and family homes across Europe and the UK. It was during a night class in London that she first saw an image develop in a darkroom—a moment she describes as `magic’—and knew she had found her calling. She built a freelance career in the UK, photographing major public figures and events, from musicians at Reading Festival to portraits for The Times, before returning to Australia in 2000 to re-establish her practice.

She is best known for her portraiture and photo documentary work, which often accompanies oral histories or archival collections. Her projects include Behind the Wire: Images and Stories of Vietnam Veterans, Down South: Australian Tradies in Antarctica, and 56 Faces: Memories of Hungary 1956. Her work is held in several public collections, including the National Library of Australia, State Library of Victoria, State Library of Queensland, and the National Vietnam Veterans Museum.

Susan has been a finalist in several prestigious awards, including the Moran Contemporary Photographic Prize and the Olive Cotton Award, and her commissioned work has included long-standing collaborations with the State Library of Victoria and Australian sculptor Peter Corlett OAM.

As a student at Girls Grammar, Susan played French horn in the orchestra and participated in swimming and water polo. An interest in history and storytelling that has guided her career, was nurtured in Latin and Literature classes. Susan recalls the strong friendships formed during her time at the School, describing them as `friends who became family’.

BGGS gave her the confidence, and a foundation of resilience, that allowed her to pursue creative pathways in her own time and on her own terms, she says.

Today, Susan continues to balance her commercial work—creating custom photographic libraries for businesses—with personal projects that explore themes of memory, place, and identity. She finds fulfilment in meeting people, hearing their stories, and finding ways to share them with broader audiences.