![](https://katiegilbertphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Susie-40-fabulous-birthday-photo-shoot-lemmon-mountain-2-scaled.jpg)
Susie’s 40 and Fabulous Birthday Cake Smash
Aug 31, 2022
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Susie is a big kid at heart. With an incredible life story and a fun personality, she decided to have a cake smash for her 40 and Fabulous birthday shoot! Happy birthday, Susie!
![](https://katiegilbertphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Susie-40-fabulous-birthday-photo-shoot-lemmon-mountain-10-683x1024.jpg)
I’ve known Susie for a while, and she’s proven to be a tough fighter. When I was a teenager, she got into an accident when her motorcycle was hit by a semi truck.
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Her son came to our church, so the word spread like wildfire. Throughout her recovery, she became an inspiring role model, and now she’s a great friend of mine.
![](https://katiegilbertphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Susie-40-fabulous-birthday-photo-shoot-lemmon-mountain-3-1024x683.jpg)
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Susie’s cousin, Alicia, was also at the session. She was fantastic support! We both had so much fun watching Susie going full force with the cake smash!
![](https://katiegilbertphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Susie-40-fabulous-birthday-photo-shoot-lemmon-mountain-9-683x1024.jpg)
Fun fact: this was the very motorcycle jacket she wore during her accident. I’m so happy she brought it, especially since it’s such an important part of her story!
![](https://katiegilbertphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Susie-40-fabulous-birthday-photo-shoot-lemmon-mountain-5-683x1024.jpg)
We drove up to Mount Lemmon for the shoot and picked a pull-out that wasn’t windy. Once we got out, we realized that she accidentally left her skirt at home!
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Susie’s husband Luke hopped out of the pool and drove an hour up Mt. Lemmon just to bring us the skirt! He single-handedly saved our shoot from rescheduling. You’re the best, Luke!
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In the end, the session turned out awesome! We had a great time capturing Susie’s bad-ass queen personality, and I’m so pleased with how everything turned out.
![](https://katiegilbertphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Susie-40-fabulous-birthday-photo-shoot-lemmon-mountain-7-1024x683.jpg)
Susie had plenty of props, including a tiara, the cake, and a champagne bottle! The champagne shots can be challenging to get sometimes, but the results were explosive!
![](https://katiegilbertphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Susie-40-fabulous-birthday-photo-shoot-lemmon-mountain-13-889x1024.jpg)
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What an amazing 40 and Fabulous birthday shoot, Susie! Happy birthday, and I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I do!