Meet Susan Magnano

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Susan Magnano. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Susan below.

Hi Susan, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
Finding My Purpose Through Creation

As a teenager interning at a local newspaper, I saw one of my photos printed in the paper and felt a spark ignite. For the first time, I realized my experiences could move others. Strangers were suddenly seeing the world through my eyes. That moment changed everything: photography was my superpower to share my experiences, that connect us and outlast me

That spark pushed me out into the world. At first, it was about capturing moments—the thrill of chasing light, finding beauty in wild landscapes, or pushing myself into uncomfortable places just to witness something extraordinary. Looking back, the guiding thread hasn’t been the places or even the images—it’s been the act of creation itself.

Creation is where I find my purpose. Each photograph is more than a frame—it’s a bridge between me and someone else, a chance to share beauty, wonder, and possibility. Over time, teaching and guiding others has deepened that purpose even further. Helping people unlock their own creativity feels just as meaningful as creating my own images.

I’ve learned that purpose isn’t fixed—it evolves as we do. But today, mine is clear: to create and to share. To transform moments into connections. To remind others that even in darkness, there’s always light waiting to be discovered.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I’m a photographer, adventure guide, and educator and my work has always been about more than images—it’s about creating experiences that inspire. From leading workshops over the mountains at sunrise and under star-filled skies and to helping people unlock their creativity with light painting, I use photography as a tool to connect people to beauty, curiosity, and possibility.

What excites me most is that I get to blend exploration and education. I don’t just capture fleeting moments—I teach others how to create their own. Whether I’m guiding people into the wilderness, leading photo walks through bustling cities, or showing students how to bend time with long exposures, I’m helping them see the world with fresh eyes. Watching someone step out of their comfort zone and create something they didn’t think was possible is the most rewarding part of my work.

Photour Adventures is the fusion of my passion for exploring the world and my mission to guide others in discovering, experiencing, and creating along the way

Photour Adventures was born from my love of chasing light—across mountains, cities, and star-filled skies—and sharing those moments with others. These tours and workshops blend adventure, culture, and photography to create experiences where people step outside their comfort zones, discover new perspectives, and come home with both powerful images and stories worth telling.

With my Photo Adventures, my upcoming book Mastering the Dark Arts of Light Painting and my online course: The Creative Exposure, I’m giving photographers new tools to unlock their creativity.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Curiosity and a willingness to step into the unknown. Early in my career, I said yes to opportunities that pushed me outside my comfort zone – working with high-end clients I wasn’t sure I was ready for, or teaching workshops before I felt I had all the answers. Each leap showed me that growth lives on the other side of discomfort. My advice: don’t wait until you feel “ready.” Chase what excites you and let curiosity guide your growth.

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2. Experimentation & Relentless Practice

One of the biggest reasons I became skilled at Light Painting is because I treated it as play and practice. For anyone unfamiliar, light painting is a long-exposure photography technique where you use handheld lights—like flashlights, LED wands, or even drones—to “paint” in the air. It looks like magic, but it’s the result of hundreds of experiments. Each experiment I learned from. Most of my best images came after countless “failed” attempts. My advice: reframe failure as experimentation. Every test sharpens your craft.

3, Chase your flow. When I’m doing photography—and most powerfully when I’m light painting—I slip into a state of flow—a place where time disappears and I feel like an artist creating something out of nothing. It’s when I feel most authentic, most present, and most alive. That’s the signal I try to follow in my work: to notice the moments that bring me into flow and to deliberately create more space for them. Flow is the sweet spot where challenge meets possibility—it’s not effortless, but it feels natural, like the work is pulling you forward instead of you forcing it. For me, light painting is that place, but for someone else it might be writing, teaching, running, or building. The important thing is to pay attention to those moments when you lose track of time and feel most yourself. That’s where purpose hides. The more you can identify those states and design your life to return to them, the more aligned, creative, and alive you become

How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Absolutely. Collaboration has been one of the driving forces in my career, and I’m always open to connecting with people and brands who align with creativity, exploration, and education.

I love partnering with fellow creatives, educators, and event organizers who are interested in building unique workshops, conferences, or community-driven projects.

I also look for travel and tourism partners who want to showcase their landscapes, culture, or destinations through immersive photography experiences.

If you’re someone who believes in inspiring creativity, sparking wonder, and empowering people to see differently, I’d love to connect. You can reach me through my website (www.PhotourAdventures.com) or directly on Instagram @susan.magnano and LinkedIn. Let’s explore how we can create something extraordinary together.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Photos by Susan Magnano

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