My newest goal is to gain the nationally-recognized title of Certified Professional Photographer.  This certification is judged by masters of photography who have been practicing it their entire lives, and is provided by the Photographer’s Association of America (PPA).  There are thousands of photographers out there, and it seems that many people think that just by picking up a camera and pressing a button, they’re a professional photographer.

The digital era has made it much easier for inexperienced part-time and fly-by-night photographers to throw their hat into the ring, undercutting professionals with rock bottom prices. Certification is an easy way to help consumers understand and appreciate your level of experience and talent.

I spend hours every day researching photography – technical aspects, techniques, artistic styles, marketing, products, gear, etc.  I know by looking at my photography over the years, that I have grown and continue to grow as a photographer because of my passion and dedication to the art. I have loved photography my entire life – this isn’t a hobby I picked up and realized I enjoyed. But how do my potential clients know this at a glance?

By becoming certified as a Certified Professional Photographer (CPP), I am showing my potential clients that I have met high standards and can provide quality work, both artistically and technically. This is SO important!

As the leading certifying agency for imaging professionals, the Professional Photographic Certification program is recognized throughout the industry.Those who have earned the Professional Photographic Certification have passed a comprehensive written exam measuring their technical expertise, and have successfully submitted their work to a panel of judges for review and approval.

To quote directly from their website, “ Certification is granted by the Professional Photographic Certification Commission, an objective third party who validates your expertise, and that speaks volumes to potential clients about your skill. When potential clients become aware that Certified Photographers must re-certify every five years, they understand that education, training, and the latest industry techniques and skills are important to you – and your images.”

As of today, there are only 18 Certified Professional Photographers in South Carolina!  Amazing! If you do a Google Search, or worse, a Facebook search, you will find hundreds, probably even thousands, of “professional” photographers throughout the state of South Carolina, but none of them have gone through the trials, judging, tests, and certification process to receive the credentials to become a Certified Professional Photographer.

I plan to be number 19!  I am always committed to providing the highest level of quality in all forms to my clients, and I feel this is a natural part of the process. I want my clients to feel confident and proud that they have hired me as their photographer. Not only will they get gorgeous images to share with their family forever, but they also will have someone dedicated to both artistic and technical excellence in all of their images!

Wish me luck!

What about you? Would you feel more comfortable if your photographer for your special event and lifetime of memories were certified, or are you fine with the latest Facebook find?  Comment below!  (and I can’t give you guys a blog posting without an image, so here’s a picture I love from one of my trips to downtown Charleston… random but pretty.)

If you like this article, I encourage you to share it via Twitter or Facebook! As always, I would love to hear your thoughts through your comments below.
South Carolina Wedding Photographer, Portrait Photographer and Boudoir Photographer
For more creative and interesting photography, please visit http://www.stephaniesnyderphotography.com!]]> http://blog.stephaniesnyderphotography.com/2010/09/sc-certified-professional-photographer/feed/ 4 http://blog.stephaniesnyderphotography.com/2010/09/dexter-livin-it-up-in-tennessee/ http://blog.stephaniesnyderphotography.com/2010/09/dexter-livin-it-up-in-tennessee/#comments Sun, 05 Sep 2010 03:31:11 +0000 Stephanie http://blog.stephaniesnyderphotography.com/?p=1683 We took a trip to Tennessee a few months ago, and for some reason, Dexter wouldn’t eat his food when his bowl was on the floor in the hotel room. The only way we could get him to eat was if we put the bowl on the bed. Then he sprawled out like a king and looked at US like we were crazy!

If you like this article, I encourage you to share it via Twitter or Facebook! As always, I would love to hear your thoughts through your comments below.
South Carolina Wedding Photographer, Portrait Photographer and Boudoir Photographer
For more creative and interesting photography, please visit http://www.stephaniesnyderphotography.com!]]> http://blog.stephaniesnyderphotography.com/2010/09/dexter-livin-it-up-in-tennessee/feed/ 1 http://blog.stephaniesnyderphotography.com/2010/09/sc-animal-photographer-beautiful-baby-horse-in-lexington-sc/ http://blog.stephaniesnyderphotography.com/2010/09/sc-animal-photographer-beautiful-baby-horse-in-lexington-sc/#comments Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:02:21 +0000 Stephanie http://blog.stephaniesnyderphotography.com/?p=1652 I went to my friend Aline’s house the other day to visit her and play with her 10-day old baby horsie named Terra!  I’ve been in love with the mommy, Eva, ever since I saw her – I think she’s the most beautiful horse I’ve ever seen! Her son inherited her beauty and grace, and added some attitude! He is so cute and hilarious, with such a distinct little personality.

First I took a few shots of one of their other horses, Stormy:

He followed me around the field, rubbing his nose on my shoulder.  He is such a sweet horse.

And here’s Terra:

I love those knobby knees!!!

And here he is, showing off his teeth, already growing in at 10 days old:

You can already see the amazing muscle tone in this beautiful creature. He has the softest coat I have ever felt, and his fuzzy mane and tail are too cute!

You can just tell how attentive his mother is. It’s so sweet!

Look at how his little nostrils flare up!  What a little attitude!

I know I got a TON of shots of  Mother and Son running together, but I am fascinated (and always have been) by their beauty and grace. Horses are so amazing and magical. They possess a grace and power that is both majestic and playful.

Poor tired mommy!

I am in love with how the sunlight hits their manes and tails in this photo!

Look at them, staring at me like models….   

Aline is such an animal lover – it is so inspiring to see her with her animals. She loves them so much and takes such a large part of her life making them a priority and taking care of them.

Here’s a little behind the scenes shot of Aline helping me to get those gorgeous running shots!

And of course, I couldn’t help but take a few photos of the vibrant Brisa! If you’ve been watching my work for a while, you’ve seen her grow up in front of my camera!

I’ll end this post with another baby animal: The day I visited, some baby chicks hatched! Here’s a cute one:

I hope everyone enjoys the long weekend! Happy Labor Day!!!

If you like this article, I encourage you to share it via Twitter or Facebook! As always, I would love to hear your thoughts through your comments below.
South Carolina Wedding Photographer, Portrait Photographer and Boudoir Photographer
For more creative and interesting photography, please visit http://www.stephaniesnyderphotography.com!]]> http://blog.stephaniesnyderphotography.com/2010/09/sc-animal-photographer-beautiful-baby-horse-in-lexington-sc/feed/ 2 http://blog.stephaniesnyderphotography.com/2010/07/vampire-cat/ http://blog.stephaniesnyderphotography.com/2010/07/vampire-cat/#comments Mon, 26 Jul 2010 23:56:18 +0000 Stephanie http://blog.stephaniesnyderphotography.com/?p=1614 Sunnie is officially strong enough now to draw blood. And he’s teething.

Does anyone have any non-violent ideas on how to stop this kitten from biting?

He even looks bloodthirsty in this picture.

If you like this article, I encourage you to share it via Twitter or Facebook! As always, I would love to hear your thoughts through your comments below.
South Carolina Wedding Photographer, Portrait Photographer and Boudoir Photographer
For more creative and interesting photography, please visit http://www.stephaniesnyderphotography.com!]]> http://blog.stephaniesnyderphotography.com/2010/07/vampire-cat/feed/ 2 http://blog.stephaniesnyderphotography.com/2010/07/introducing-sunnie/ http://blog.stephaniesnyderphotography.com/2010/07/introducing-sunnie/#comments Sun, 18 Jul 2010 06:29:37 +0000 Stephanie http://blog.stephaniesnyderphotography.com/?p=1549 About a month ago, both of my kitties went missing without a trace. We have no clue what happened to them, but pray that they come back every day, and at the very least, pray that they are safe and happy wherever they are. Pico and Cookie are very special and unique, and have been a huge part of my life for many years (Pico has been my baby since I moved to Columbia, almost 9 years ago).

At the end of June, Otman surprised me with a new kitten, which we adopted from Pets Inc.. We named him Sunnie, because he’s the color of sunshine, and because he brightened up my day! (Thanks Annette!) He definitely belongs in our household – we have concluded that everyone in our house (including the animals) is a little crazy, and Sunnie is no different! He is definitely a great addition to the family.

He’s not afraid of anything, and LOVES Dexter! He jumps on Dexter’s back in order to jump on his tail – and then slides down it while attacking his tail. Many nights, I find him curled up against Dexter’s chest, and Dexter doesn’t mind at all! It’s is so adorable!

So, without further ado, here is Sunnie!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend!

If you like this article, I encourage you to share it via Twitter or Facebook! As always, I would love to hear your thoughts through your comments below.
South Carolina Wedding Photographer, Portrait Photographer and Boudoir Photographer
For more creative and interesting photography, please visit http://www.stephaniesnyderphotography.com!]]> http://blog.stephaniesnyderphotography.com/2010/07/introducing-sunnie/feed/ 0 http://blog.stephaniesnyderphotography.com/2010/01/how-to-get-great-pet-pictures/ http://blog.stephaniesnyderphotography.com/2010/01/how-to-get-great-pet-pictures/#comments Mon, 18 Jan 2010 20:37:03 +0000 Stephanie http://blog.stephaniesnyderphotography.com/?p=577 My dog, Dexter, is the sweetest, best, most awesome dog around. He is smart, hilarious, and more than half-human. He is 125 pounds of Rottweiler-Lab mix, but he thinks he’s a little lap dog. I love him so much.  A guy was dropping him off out of a pickup truck when he was about 8 weeks old, and Otman rescued him, called me and told me he found a puppy. No dog has ever won my heart like this one. He looked like a tiny baby bear cub, and when I opened the door to the room he was staying in, he ran from underneath the blanket and right into my arms. He has human expressions that no one can resist, and you should see him pimp his way around Charleston.  If he had a sitcom, it would be named Everyone loves Dexter.

When posing your dog for pictures, here are a few tips:

1. Start young, if possible. The more they’re used to the camera, the more they’ll ignore its presence. This will save you a lot of time from cleaning dog saliva off of a lens, and will prevent scared reactions from the flash.
2. Know what their favorite treats are – and RESERVE them for photo time! Let your dog know that if he/she behaves him/herself during the photo session, then that yields the high reward of their favorite treat! If they get that treat all the time, it won’t be as special, and they won’t be as likely to cooperate.
3. Squeaky toys are usually great at getting good expressions, if your dog doesn’t try to jump all over you to get to it – this is where the treats come in.
4. A well-rounded, trained dog is going to be much easier to work with than one who isn’t used to following commands.
5. Just like with children’s pictures, GET ON THEIR LEVEL!  Crawl around on the floor, get unusual angles, etc.
   
6. Never try to get them to do anything out of fear. Their expressions will show it in the picture.
7. Keep in mind that this is FUN, and don’t get frustrated! Animals are keen at sensing moods, especially frustration. Reward them often for being good for the camera, and they’ll love the next photo session!

Happy Monday!!!

-S

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