Four Years of Simura Design: A Journey Built on Creativity, Connection & Collaboration

In Spring of 1993, a young girl, six days shy of her 12th birthday, sat in a busy NYC airport, waiting to be fingerprinted.  The tall blue travel bag contained the necessities to start a new life in a new country; clothes, toiletries, favorite cassette tapes, and her favorite stuffed companion, a blue and pink bunny living in a fragile state of too many stitches.  Everything else…given away to family and friends on the other side of the ocean, 4300 miles away. 

Sitting between her mom and dad, the three of them watched a whirlwind of activity around them. People scurrying by to catch their flights. Crowd of people anxiously waiting for their luggage. Friends and families greeting each other with excitement.

What an adventure awaited her! She thought.

Thirty three years later, that adventure has shaped me in ways that little girl could never have imagined, or prepared for.

That little girl, of course, is me, Kasia Simura Lussier.

The adventure continues

That little girl arrived in a new country with a bag full of belongings and no idea what her future would look like. Creativity has helped her navigate the uncharted territory of making new friends who didn't speak the same language and learning to express herself in a chaotic new world.

Over the years, that creative spirit has taken me down paths I never could have predicted; from illustration and fine art to photography, and eventually to building a business around things I love most: creativity, connection, and helping people bring their stories to life. 

Four years ago, in September 2022, I took another leap into the unknown. I officially made Simura Design a business. A creative photography studio I've built here in Connecticut. It was a leap of faith! There was no perfectly mapped-out five-year plan, no crystal-clear picture of what Simura Design would become. There was simply an unrelenting feeling that it was time to take the creative work I had been doing for years and give it a name, a structure, and a chance to grow.

Four years later, I find myself looking around my studio and realizing just how much can happen when you keep showing up, keep learning, keep connecting with people, and keep saying yes to opportunities that sometimes lead somewhere you never expected.

So, on Simura Design’s fourth anniversary, I wanted to take a moment to look back at where this journey began, celebrate the people who have helped shape it, and share where I hope we’re headed next.

It Started Long Before Simura Design Became an LLC

My creative journey began long before 2022.

In 2002, while in college, I started taking on freelance creative projects, primarily in technical illustration for veterinary and medical science professors, along with fine art and design projects. Creativity was always something I needed in my life. It was where I felt most alive, curious, and connected to myself.

Photography was there too, although initially more as a personal passion. That passion became rooted more deeply after taking some elective photography courses in college, where I learned to work with a manual camera. At the time, though, I didn’t know that photography would eventually become such a significant part of my professional life. The transition happened naturally.

People began reaching out with creative projects outside of my personal work, and freelancing gradually became something more than a creative outlet. It became an opportunity to build something of my own.

Real Estate Photography: The Unexpected Doorway

In 2015, my husband became a real estate agent.

Naturally, I started photographing his listings and the journey of Real Estate photography by Kasia Lussier began. At the time, though, I had no idea what I didn’t know.

I knew the basics of a camera. And I knew I loved to create images. But real estate photography was a completely different challenge. What makes a photograph of a house actually work? How do you handle strange lighting, deep shadows, enormous rooms, no natural light, clutter, or weird reflections? My first house photoshoot was…let’s just say, a learning experience. I still cringe every time I look at those first photos. Every property became a lesson.

It took me a couple of years to really understand the craft and become comfortable enough with my camera, lighting, composition, and workflow to take on increasingly challenging projects.

One of the biggest lessons was simple:

Know your camera. Not just the basic settings. Really know it. Learn its favorites settings, its strengths and limitations, it’s favorite time of day and whether it likes studio lighting or walks on the beach. Ok ok, maybe that’s learning MY preferences. However, each camera IS different, so becoming experienced with the basics will make working with any camera more rewarding.

When you understand your equipment, you can then walk into a small, dark room, a huge open space, a home with challenging mixed lighting, or a completely unexpected situation and know how to solve the problem instead of hoping the camera will do it for you.

I also learned that great photography isn’t just about the few hours spent taking photographs. Good systems matter. A lot!

From preparing for the shoot, to photographing the property, to processing images, managing files and software, communicating with the client, and delivering the final work, every part of the process contributes to a successful experience.

And perhaps one of the most important lessons I’ve learned over the years is this:

Ask for help. This is where the people who know me well will throw my a quizzical glance…you, ask for help?  I know, know! Coming from a Polish cultural mindset of “I can do it myself”, asking for help can be a challenge in itself. It’s a good thing I have some amazing family and friends who help me get out of my own way and have made it ok to ask for help.

Knowing your strengths doesn’t mean you have to know everything. Understanding your craft also means understanding where you can learn, where you can improve, and when someone else’s experience can help you move forward faster.

Every Home Has a Story

Real estate photography also taught me something about people. Sellers are proud of their homes. Regardless of the style, price, or what a potential buyer might think, a home represents an enormous investment of time, energy, memories, and emotion. Selling a home can be a deeply personal experience.

Every house comes with a story. I love hearing those stories.

That perspective changed the way I approach photographing a property. I know that the photographs I create are often the first impression someone will have of that home. What they see online is what they’ll expect to see when they walk through the door. My job is to create photographs that showcase the property beautifully while still representing it honestly. That responsibility matters to me.

As my real estate photography grew, it also became the beginning of an entirely new chapter.

From Homes to People

As I photographed more properties, I began photographing the people behind them. Real estate agents needed headshots. Then other professionals started asking about headshots. Those headshots turned into personal branding sessions. And personal branding opened the door to something I really love: helping people communicate who they are through photographs.

The transition from real estate to branding photography might seem like a big leap, but to me, there is a common thread.

Every photograph is telling a story.

A home tells the story of the people who live there.

A personal brand tells the story of the person behind a business.

A portrait gives you a glimpse into the person standing in front of my camera.

My mission is to listen, observe, and understand what matters to the person I’m working with, and then translate that into imagery. That is the part of photography that keeps me excited.

September 2022: Making It Official

By 2022, I had built a small but growing circle of photography clients, including repeat clients who continued coming back and referring others.

It was also such a strange time in the world.

We were still living through the effects of COVID, and so much of life had become isolated and disconnected. My creative side was craving connection with other people.

Photography gave me that connection.

It allowed me to work with people, photograph events, and especially reconnect with one of my favorite hobbies, ballroom dancing. Dance photography became an unexpected creative outlet, combining two things I loved: making photographs and being around the dance community.

And, for a little personal trivia, ballroom dancing is actually how my husband and I met. I was attending a class at Karen Pfrommer’s dance studio when my future husband walked in. His friendly smile and genuine eyes stopped me in my tracks. Years later, we still love going dancing at Karen’s studio. 

Back to business…by this point, I had become much more comfortable with my camera and increasingly excited about how much there still was to learn.

So I finally decided: It’s time. I’m making this official. In September 2022, Simura Design LLC was born.

There was excitement. There was fear. And there was a whole lot I didn’t know about running a business.

I had to learn about contracts, systems, finances, legal terminology, client management, scheduling, marketing, software, and the never-ending challenge of trying to be everywhere and do everything at once.

Wait! That sounds a lot like learning how to ballroom dance: stand up straight, point your toes, glide across the floor, keep your head up, shoulders back, arms out, smile, and remember to breathe! And oh, what’s with the frog fingers?! Bring your finger together! Thank you, Marko (my first ballroom dance instructor), for saving me from frog fingers.  

But underneath all of that was a very simple vision:

I wanted Simura Design to be a creative place where people could bring their stories to life.

That vision is still at the heart of my business today.

Why Simura?

The name Simura holds a lot of sentimental value for me. Simura is my maiden name and I have signed many paintings first as Kasia Simura, then Kasia Simura Lussier. 

I grew up in Poland and my family has deep roots in that part of the world. Over the years, the Simura family has scattered around the world and into different communities. There has always been a creative and adventurous spirit within my family, a willingness to take on challenges and try something new.

Naming my business Simura Design was my way of carrying a little piece of that spirit forward.

When I first started using the name, “Design” made sense because my work centered around illustration, fine art, and creative design projects. As photography became a larger part of my work, I considered whether the name still fit. I decided it did. Because in many ways, that is still what I do.

I help people and businesses design their visual voice through photography.

Whether I’m creating a personal branding session, photographing a portrait, documenting a dance performance, photographing a home from the air, or creating architectural imagery, I’m still designing something.

I’m taking someone’s vision, story, personality, or space and translating it into images.

Four Years, Countless Projects, and Even More People

Over the last four years, Simura Design has grown through an incredible variety of projects.

Every number represents a person, a conversation, a challenge, an idea, and a story.

Some projects have been large and ambitious.

Some have been wonderfully simple.

Some have challenged me technically.

Others have pushed me creatively.

But the projects I remember most aren’t necessarily the biggest or most exciting ones. They’re the ones where I felt like I truly connected with the person I was working with. Where I understood what they were trying to accomplish and helped bring that vision to life.

And then there’s the best part: seeing them share those photographs with the world. That never gets old.

A Few Chapters Along the Way

There have been so many projects that have helped shape me personally; Kasia Lussier, and my business; Simura Design, but a few stand out as important pieces of the journey.

Each of these projects pushed me, as a photographer, and Simura Design in a slightly different direction.

And that’s something I have come to really appreciate about this business: I don’t want every project to look the same.

I want there to be room for creativity.

The Clients Who Became Part of the Story

If there is one thing I understand more clearly now than I did when I started, it is that a business isn’t built by one person alone.

My clients have given me so much more than work. They have given me opportunities, connections, friendships, creative challenges, encouragement, referrals, repeat business, and, sometimes, exactly the push I needed to keep going.

Some clients have been there from the beginning. Like Robert T, who has been a client since day one and has become a wonderful friend and repeat client along the way. These clients (and others!) are among the ones who have continued to work with me as Simura Design has evolved.

To every current and past client who has trusted me with your home, your business, your family, your personal brand, your dance, your story, or simply your photograph:

Thank you.

Thank you for trusting me.

Thank you for coming back.

Thank you for referring me.

Thank you for challenging me.

Thank you for giving me room to experiment and grow.

And thank you for believing in my work, sometimes even when I was still learning to believe in it myself.

The Lesson I Didn’t Expect: It Takes a Village

For a long time, I thought I could do everything myself.

I was going to photograph the clients, edit the photographs, manage the business, handle the marketing, build the website, manage the finances, learn every piece of software, create every project, answer every email, and somehow still have time to be creative (and to be there for my family).

That plan lasted about as long as you’d expect. There was a point when everything started to feel like it was crashing down around me.

And my friends and family reminded me of something I had apparently forgotten:

They wanted to help.

They wanted to see me succeed.

And they were not particularly impressed with my decision to try to carry everything alone. (Thanks Laura and Taylor for the not-so-subtle reminder!)

So I learned to ask for help.

That’s a lesson I now carry into every part of the business.

Rome wasn’t built in a day. And it truly takes a village.

Build relationships.

Ask questions.

Find people who know what you don’t know.

Help other people when you can.

And don’t underestimate the power of a person simply saying, “I’ve got you.”

Creativity Doesn’t Happen in Isolation

I love working alone.

Give me a creative project, a computer, a camera, and several uninterrupted hours and I can happily disappear into the work.

But I’ve learned something about myself over these four years. My creativity grows when I connect with people. Going out for coffee with friends, meeting other creatives, attending workshops, networking, collaborating, talking about ideas, or simply getting out of my own head often gives me a fresh burst of creative energy.

One of the most important experiences in that evolution was collaborating with Louisa Vilardi and three other photographers at her New Jersey workshop. That experience opened the door to larger creative projects, business branding, and a different way of thinking about collaboration. It reminded me that creativity doesn’t have to be solitary.

Creativity is collaborative. Sometimes another person’s perspective is exactly what helps you see your own work differently.

Three years after making Simura Design official, I made another big leap. In September 2025, I moved into a larger studio. It took a lot of thought, planning, and courage. But the move wasn’t simply about having more room.  It was about creating possibilities.

The new studio allows me to take on larger and more creative projects. I can work with groups of people, collaborate with other creatives, host workshops, create different environments for photography, and open the space to other photographers and creative professionals.

Most importantly, I want the studio to become more than a place where I take photographs.

I want it to become a creative hub. The Simura Design creativity lab. A place where people can come together, experiment, collaborate, learn something new, and see their stories come to life.

I had one of those “Wow. Look how far this has come” moments when I hosted an event at the studio and watched people walk through the doors. They weren’t just looking at a photography studio. They were already imagining themselves there. Imagining photoshoots. Imagining projects. Imagining what they could create.

That’s when I realized the studio wasn’t just the next step for Simura Design. It could become something much bigger.

What Comes Next?

I didn’t have a five-year plan when I started Simura Design. I just had a vision and the creative drive. Honestly, I’m still working on figuring out everything that needs to be mapped out in the coming years. 

One quote I’ve heard Tony Robbins share at his UPW seminars has stayed with me:

“Most people overestimate what they can do in a year and underestimate what they can do in a day.”

That idea resonates with me because building a business really does come down to the small, intentional things you do consistently. Sometimes I get excited and try to plan ten steps ahead. Then I realize I’ve planned myself into a corner and need to scale things back.

So I keep returning to the basics:

Show up. Learn. Connect.

Create. Help people. Build relationships.

Take the next step.

And then take the next one.

Year Five

As Simura Design enters its fifth year, my vision is becoming clearer. I want the studio to flourish as a place for collaborative connection. I want workshops, creative sessions, conversations, and projects to bring people together. I want Simura Design to become known for edgy and creative branding photography, elevated portrait experiences, and high-end architectural imagery.

I want to work with artists, creative professionals, musicians, dancers, models, entrepreneurs, and businesses that aren’t afraid to think differently. To bring their stories to the world. And ultimately, I want to build a team.

When I look back at the five-year anniversary, I want to be able to say:

“We’re a team.”

A team of creative people who bring different skills, perspectives, and ideas to the table.

A team that makes Simura Design more than one photographer.

A creative brand known for meaningful collaborations, imaginative projects, and high-end visual storytelling.

Simura Design exists because I love creating. But it has grown because people trusted me enough to create alongside them.

So, to every client, collaborator, friend, family member, mentor, fellow creative, referral partner, and supporter who has been part of this journey:

Thank you for being part of Kasia Lussier’s Simura Design story.

Four years ago, Simura Design was an idea I decided to make official. Today, it’s a growing creative space, a collection of stories, a community of people, and a vision that continues to evolve. And I can’t wait to see what we create next.

Here’s to Year Five.

Let’s make something extraordinary.