About the Artist

Susan Bridges

Susan Geston Bridges’ lifelong experience with photography began when she was in high school, with a weekend job as a studio assistant. After attending the University of Minnesota and University of Montana, she explored the art of photography at the ArtCenter College of Design and California Institute of the Arts. A Midwest native, she honed her skills in street and candid photojournalism while studying with Lisette Model, a New York City photographer known for her humanistic, anti-glamour approach.

Susan’s work has been showcased in publications including the Los Angeles Times, Westways, Wet, and Santa Barbara magazines, as well as Whitefish Review. Throughout her career, she has photographed iconic artists including Orson Welles, Clayton Moore (The Lone Ranger), Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bud Cort, Peter Fonda, the Los Angeles Ballet Company, and others. Susan has also served as a special still photographer on feature films, including Heaven’s Gate, The American Success Company, and the crime comedy for which she acted as associate producer, Cold Feet, starring Tom Waits, Sally Kirkland, and Keith Carradine.

In 1979, Director Michael Cimino gave Susan unlimited access to photograph on set during filming of Heaven’s Gate, his fictionalized vision of the 1892 Johnson County War. Through his generosity and that of Producer Joann Carelli, Cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond, and the cast and crew, Susan was free to capture the filmmaking experience in a singularly personal, uncontrived manner. In addition to shooting with Nikon and Leica cameras, she chose to use a Widelux swing lens panoramic camera for its unique format and qualities. 

Much later, when she realized the negatives for these pictures had survived the earthquake, fire, and mudslide that destroyed three of her previous homes, Susan decided it was time to show the work. Her collection, “Inside Heaven’s Gate—Behind the Scenes with Susan Bridges,” has been exhibited at the historic Livingston Train Depot in Montana, the Napa Valley Museum, and most recently the Tamsen Gallery in Santa Barbara, California. 

Susan shares her enthusiasm for the Widelux panoramic camera with her husband of more than 48 years, actor Jeff Bridges. Jeff has been using a Widelux to document the inner world of moviemaking ever since Susan gave him one as a wedding gift. Together, Susan, Jeff, and their partners Marwan El Mozayen and Charys Schuler of SilverGrain Classics photography magazine have formed SilverBridges, a company dedicated to rebuilding and remanufacturing the Widelux camera for a new audience. 

Recently, Susan was invited to share her pictures of the Venice Barrio in the 1980s in a one-of-a-kind public photography event, Projecting L.A. 2024. Images taken by Susan, Jeff, and 30 other notable photographers were projected three stories high on a building in downtown L.A for a live audience. Powerful photojournalism told stories of the street and a changing city in an innovative way, and was preserved through donations to the Los Angeles Public Library. 

Susan’s lifelong dedication to philanthropy includes her role as a founding member of Vital Ground Foundation, a nonprofit land trust organization that preserves habitat for wildlife in the northern Rocky Mountains. She actively supports causes such as VNA Health, Foodbank of Santa Barbara County, Direct Relief, Unity Shoppe, Livingston Food Resource Center, The Livingston Farm to School Program, and Yellowstone Forever, among others.

The Bridges enjoy dividing their time between Santa Barbara and Montana. The mother of three daughters, Susan says family is most dear to her heart, and she loves watching hers grow with the additions of her sons-in-law and grandchildren.

©Photography by Susan Bridges, All Rights Reserved.