Stephanie Snyder Photography

Some Beach Images….

snydersi — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 15:49:22 +0000

I went to Charleston with my husband a few Sundays ago, and it was nice just relaxing on the beach for a few hours. Even though I didn’t bring the big gear along, I couldn’t resist grabbing a few shots with my Droid. Enjoy!

Sunflowers and a Gathering

snydersi — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 04:30:55 +0000

This past weekend I went to Greenville to hang out with some friends I saw recently, and some I haven’t seen in ten years! I met up with Michelle on Saturday to grab a bit to eat before our high school reunion. We didn’t go to the actual reunion – we planned a separate “gathering of souls” event at the Irish Pub for those of us who didn’t want to pay $1oo for tickets per couple. We had an AMAZING time – such a great time, in fact, that we had no idea it was 2am until the employees started last call. Before all that, however, Michelle and I decided to trespass in the name of photography. For months, we have been talking about taking pictures in front of this beautiful field of sunflowers EVERY time we drove by it on the way to/from her house, but we never had the guts to actually stop. You see, they are on the side of a VERY busy road where people don’t bother to slow down for any reason, and it’s on private property. Saturday, we decided to go for it. I parked my car on the other side of the road, we ran across the street after talking to the neighbor who just happened to be the landowner’s brother(!), got permission, and took some AWESOME pictures with the sunflowers!!! Yay! I’ll post all of them on my website soon, but here’s a preview:

Cool Zoo Birds

snydersi — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 03:22:26 +0000

A little while back, my friend Michelle came to visit and we went with her son to the Riverbanks Zoo. They have a great area where you can have the opportunity to walk through the lorikeet aviary and buy nectar to feed the birds. The birds are so friendly and LOVE nectar!!! They literally fly up to you and drink it out of a little cup from your hand! I had 3 on me at one time, fighting each other for the nectar! Michelle, of course, being as seductive as she is, didn’t need any nectar!

It Landed Right on Her Head!!!

Turtles

snydersi — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 04:34:43 +0000

I had the opportunity today to hang out with one of my great friends today in Greenville for a short while. I went with Otman on my day off to help him with paperwork and office matters for his business. It was really convenient that I was a Notary today (and that I remembered to bring my stamp)! I spent many hours in the car today with almost no sleep, but even though it’s almost tomorrow and the rest of the work week at my corporate job looms ahead of me, I am in extremely high spirits. You see, I was able to talk with my friend about her goals for her life, and we were able to listen to great music, laugh, have a nice meal (which Otman treated us to), and just be two girls who love each other like sisters and are totally invested in seeing each other succeed completely.

So why did I title this post “turtles?” Well, it has to do with the fact that I posted a while back about being overwhelmed sometimes about my goals as a professional photographer. It is my love, my passion, and my goal in my life to be the best. I spend every moment living and breathing photography. I believe photography is one of the highest art forms. I also believe that you have to feel photography. It’s not just a matter of click the button. For me, it’s driving down the road and seeing the ideal setup for a photo shoot, and then stopping to write it down and come back later with a model. It’s the mix of admiration and ache-filled longing I feel when I see an amazing picture by a photographer who’s out there doing it full-time and is living my dream. It’s about filling up multiple 5-subject notebooks with notes, inspiration, photo shoot ideas, and lists of techniques I want to learn when I should be sleeping. It’s about spending every penny I can on quality equipment that will last through fads, then reading the manuals from cover-to-cover a million times over. It’s about that feeling I get in my stomach – of excitement, elation, anticipation, & inspiration – when someone books a photo shoot with me. And most of all, it’s the enormous sense of satisfaction and pride I feel when my client looks at his/her photos and loves them! This comes full-circle to the turtles finally, when I think about how many people out there are aspiring photographers and think they may want to make the plunge to make it their life. Baby sea turtles hatch on the beach and have to make their way to the ocean. During this process, many of them don’t make it due to many different factors, such as lighting, obstacles, predators, etc. The ones that succeed have to fight their way through diligently. This is so true in a field such as photography. There are many who falter along the road because it’s too difficult and arduous. It’s a long road, and I know it’s still winding ahead of me, with only God, my fiance, family and friends to help guide me on my journey. But I’m in it for the long haul.

I’m gonna reach the sea and swim and thrive. And I know my friend is, too. We just have to keep going, growing, and never let anything stop us.

Hanging with Annette & Sarah

snydersi — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 04:53:36 +0000

Had tons of fun with Annette and Sarah on Saturday. Just a few pics from the evening…

It’s all worth it

snydersi — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 06:38:49 +0000

I don’t remember the last time I went a day without thinking about photography or art. Shoot, I don’t even remember a whole hour going by without having photography on my mind! As I’ve stated before, it is my passion and something I feel that I was meant to do. I spend so much time browsing blogs, websites, books, manuals, etc. about the best practices, equipment, techniques and skills, that sometimes I get overwhelmed. Sometimes I see photography that is just so unbelievably amazing that I begin to doubt myself. I get afraid that I’ll never be able to have that life or get to that skill level because I won’t have the time. I get discouraged because I work a full-time corporate job and have to do my photography on the side. That’s when I am so grateful for my family, friends and awesome clients (who have become friends) who show me support and have faith in my talent and art. They help me out of that unrealistic funk and lift my spirits so that I snap out of it and realize that everyone starts somewhere, and we’re all on a journey, and this is mine. There are photographs I saw a few years ago that I was in awe of and couldn’t imagine being able to achieve that skill level. Now, looking at the same pictures, I can tell you exactly how the photographer achieved that effect, what kind of lighting was used, etc. A huge part of that is my neverending drive to constantly and voraciously absorb all information regarding photography. I have made a promise to myself that every single photo session will better than the last, in some way, no matter how tiny.

I also find it so beautiful to read the blogs of fellow photographers who have been down the long road I’m starting now and see that they were once exactly where I am. It’s also so awesome to see how generous they are with their knowledge, information, and helpful business tips that have helped them become so successful. One example is Jasmine Star. She is unbelievably successful – and an absolutely wonderful wedding photographer, and she takes the time out to personally answer her fans’ questions and post FAQs for technique, style and processing on her blog. Some may just say it’s just good business sense – which is true – but the extent to which she goes to assist her fans and admirers, along with aspiring photographers who look up to her, is so sincere. She’s just one example. This goes back to my previous blog where I was talking about how important it is to build a community of fellow artists. I have learned so much just from other photographers’ experiences on the Internet. It is truly a wonderful resource. Of course, the downside is that I haven’t had much sleep in the past few years…but it’s all worth it.

My newest business card design

It’s ART!

snydersi — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 03:56:48 +0000

This article says it all, pretty much. I’m including it in my marketing materials that I provide to my clients.

10 Reasons Professional Photographers Charge What They Do

By Lori Osterberg

10. Professional photographers are in business, and as a business, need to make a profit. Because they make their career, they dedicate themselves to becoming the best they can be, and share that knowledge with their clientele.

9. Professional photographers have to buy professional equipment. Nope, they don’t just pick up a point-andshoot from Wal-Mart and declare themselves a professional. They spend thousands upon thousands of dollars getting multiple camera bodies, the finest lenses, flash equipment for every situation, tripods, light stands, backdrops, props, carrying and storage cases. And then when you think you have it all – you need to get backups for everything to make sure you never miss an image.

8. Professional photographers continue their education, and learn as much as they can about the business. They join groups like Professional Photographers of America or the National Press Photographers Association. They attend seminars and training by some of the best names in the business. They concentrate on becoming the best they can be.

7. Professional photographers don’t just snap a picture, they create a photograph. They understand positioning. They understand lighting. They understand placement. You’re not just paying for the ability to place a finger on the trigger and snap a picture. You’re paying for the years of experience it took to create the perfect image.

6. Professional photographers can spend hours producing one professional photograph. Time can include:

creating the marketing

answering emails and phone calls

meeting with the client to talk about the event

setting up for the event

drive time to and from the event

time for the actual photographing

running to and from the lab

meeting with the client for previews and decisions

processing the image

retouching the image

mounting the image

framing the image

packaging the image

dropping off final images

production work

follow up work

Add it all up, and you can see why one portrait session may include hours worth of work. It’s impossible to stay business if you only make a few pennies per client.

5. Professional photographers have to be more than photographers. They have to be CEOs and marketers, and bankers, and salespeople, and production workers, and janitors, and buyers, and negotiators, and networkers, and drivers, and organizers. And photographers. That’s a lot of skills for one person to master.

4. Professional photographers will do it all. Want to get married at the top of a 14,000 foot high mountain, where the only way up is a 30 minute ski-lift ride? A professional photographer will be there. Want a portrait running through the waves on a Southern California beach? A professional photographer will be there.

3. Professional photographers aren’t just order takers, they provide total customer service. Professionals photograph dozens or even hundreds of clients a year. They understand what looks good, how to put together albums, and how to group multiple photographs together. Their goal is to provide you with what you need and what’s best for you – not just have you sign on the dotted line.

2. Professional photographers watch for the newest, most innovative, creative products available. They stay up to date on industry news, and find things that perfectly match their clients taste. They don’t try and fit you into something you don’t like – they find out what you want and search the world over for the perfect things. They are the professional.

1. Professional photographers have the knowledge and the skill to make you look the best you can be. I can buy a hammer for a few dollars at the hardware store. Yet I spent hundreds of dollars for a handyman to repair my deck. I can buy a needle and thread for a few dollars at the fabric store. Yet I spent over $100 on alterations at local tailor. It’s not about the tools; it’s about the outcome.

Sure, anyone can buy a camera and take a picture. You can head down to your local discount store, wait several hours and have a minimum wage clerk place you on an X and snap a few pictures. But they can’t get what a professional can get. They won’t concentrate on expressions. They won’t advise you on outfits and locations.

They won’t provide 110 percent customer service. You won’t get a professional portrait.

Isn’t it time to see a professional?

Partnership

snydersi — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:57:35 +0000

I consider myself a fairly competitive person, and when it comes to photography, I am constantly pushing myself to be better every shoot. I know that if I work hard, I will constantly improve upon my art. I believe that photography, like any art, is all about growth and learning, and while it’s fun to be competitive in that environment, I also want to make sure to realize that the only way we learn is from each other. I want to specifically throw a shout-out to all my fellow photographers and artists out there of all skill levels. You are all an inspiration to me, and you constantly keep me pushing myself to better myself and go beyond my comfort levels. Without developing partnerships between fellow artists and photographers, we would never grow or take our art to the next level. I just felt inspired to show how grateful and appreciative I am for all of you.

Children: Anabella

snydersi — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:06:40 +0000

I took Anabella’s 2-year-old pictures last month, and this little girl is so precious and energetic! We did a few studio shots, and then went downtown to the Capitol Building Statehouse grounds for some gorgeous fairy princess shots. This little girl has the cutest personality, and she’s as sweet as can be with a little sass mixed in! I had a blast photographing this beautiful angel.

Michelle!

snydersi — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 01:12:20 +0000

Michelle, who is going to be my matron of honor at my wedding, is my unofficial official assistant & advertising executive! She is always helping me come up with new ways to get my name out there, and I am truly grateful for her faithful help! She also happens to be an extremely talented and gorgeous model, with a fantastic talent for poses! Here are some shots from her portrait session from a little while ago!