Susan Doherty has been running Susan’s Portrait Designs for 30 years.

by Amber Countryman, Sumner Newscow — Ever since she was in high school, Susan Doherty has loved photography. This year marks her 30th year in business as Susan’s Portrait Designs.

“I took photography for the yearbook for three years in high school, and I loved it,” Doherty said.

After attending K-State for one year, she decided to transfer to a smaller college and chose Emporia State University. She was still undecided on a major, was looking over degrees and classes with her mom, and saw a degree in photographic media. 

Ribbon cutting was held Friday night.

“My mom said, ‘You have always loved photography; that might be a good choice’,” Doherty said.

After interning for Greg Duncan, a professional photographer and owner of Duncan Photography in Emporia, she decided that’s what she wanted to do with her life.

“That was my favorite part, and I knew then that’s what I wanted to do,” Doherty said. “He helped me land my first job at Meyer and Williams Photography in Wichita for almost 10 years.”

After working for Meyer and Williams, she worked for Shannon Delp Photography in Oxford for a couple of years. 

“In 1996, I took the plunge and started my own business in the old Masonic building on S. Washington,” she said.

When deciding on a business name, she wanted something that was different from everyone else.

“I didn’t want Susan’s Photography; I wanted something a little more upscale,” Doherty said.

So she chose the name Susan’s Portrait Designs.

In 2008, her husband, Rodger Doherty, decided to close his business of several years, Portraits by D, and they consolidated their businesses in her studio on the top floor of the Masonic building.

“Together, we ran a full time/full service studio, producing 90 percent of our products in-house,” she said.

Susan and Rodger Doherty.

The Dohertys dreamed of having an all-natural-light studio and made that dream come true in 2014. Three months after the completion of the studio that Rodger designed and built, he was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma and, sadly, passed away in 2020.

“I continue to enjoy the studio and am always looking for ways to improve our sets, just like Rodger would want me to,” Doherty said. “With all the challenges of the digital world, I am always looking at ways to set myself apart, with continued education in photography, posing, lighting, and digital art.”

After more than three decades together, the couple decided to stop photographing weddings. 

“We chose to travel around Kansas together and photograph beautiful Kansas landscapes,” she said. “Rodger had this idea to start a lease program for businesses to lease some of our scenic landscapes, with the option to own the artwork at the end of the lease. We were honored to have many of those displayed in several local businesses.”

In 2016, Susan’s Portrait Designs was hired by the Wellington School District to take school pictures. When she opened her business, Susan took pictures for local and area preschools.

Currently, Susan’s Portrait Designs specializes in senior, family, newborn, preschool and school photography. She offers specials throughout the year, including pictures with Santa, fall family pics, Valentine’s pics, Easter portraits with live rabbits and chicks, mommy and me, just to name a few. 

“Newborn photography is probably my favorite,” Doherty said.

On June 24 and 25, Doherty will be the featured local artist at the new Sumner Center on S. Washington. Many of her images displayed will also be for sale.

A ribbon-cutting and Business After Hours were held at her studio recently to celebrate 30 years in business.