Hi, I'm Sue 👋, a photographer based in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, available for photography services across the surrounding areas.
Altenburg Studio has a remarkable history spanning more than 75 years. The studio was founded by my mother, Kay Altenburg, in a small Illinois town, where it began in our family home. Some of my earliest memories are centred around photography – admiring my mother's portraits, meeting the people she photographed, watching her hand-colour black-and-white portraits, and spending countless hours with her in the darkroom.
The magic of watching an image appear on photographic paper never left me, and from an early age I knew that I wanted to become a photographer just like my mother.
In 1972, our family moved to Las Vegas and re-established the studio. Throughout high school I studied photography and helped at the family business before attending Brooks Institute of Photography, where I earned my Bachelor of Arts degree. I returned to Las Vegas and continued working alongside my mother until her retirement in 1990, when I took over the studio.
We later moved to our current location on Decatur Boulevard. With more than five decades of business in Nevada, Altenburg Studio is proud to be recognised as the oldest photography studio in Las Vegas.
Our studio is centrally located less than two miles west of the Las Vegas Strip. I wanted to maintain the warm, welcoming atmosphere of our original home studio, so while we take our photography seriously, the environment remains relaxed, casual, and comfortable.
Behind the studio is a beautiful portrait garden with flowers blooming for much of the year, along with fun outdoor sets and a collection of unique photography backgrounds both inside and outside the studio. We aim to provide a creative and enjoyable environment for every portrait session.
Sue Altenburg graduated with honours from Brooks Institute of Photography with a Bachelor’s Degree in Professional Portraiture. She was the first woman in Nevada to receive the degree of Certified Master Photographer from the Professional Photographers of America (PPA).
Sue also holds the PPA Photographic Craftsman Degree and was awarded an honorary Master of Science Degree from Brooks Institute of Photography in recognition of her continued service to the photographic community.
Throughout her career, Sue has received numerous national and international print awards and has become an internationally recognised speaker and educator. She has completed two lecture tours of Japan and a speaking tour of the UK, and is a frequent speaker and print judge for The Societies of Photographers Convention in London, England.
Sue has also taught both pinhole and digital photography for the Smithsonian Associates in Washington, D.C., sharing her knowledge and passion for photography with photographers of all levels.
