Working together fifteen years from 1980 to 1995, they started experimenting in high school taking black and white and color photographs together, Susan as the model and muse to Jack's emerging photographic vision and continued into college where they started photographing friends in the school's photo studio utilizing the costume department that Susan was in charge of. Susan who was affectionately called "Suka" by friends did make-up on the models and costumed them along with Jack and decided to adopt the nickname professionally when they moved to New York in 1986.