Introducing 2015 Rising Star Abbey K -

Abbey is involved in Cheer, basketball, volleyball, track, youth and government, youth group, FFA, and Drama

Multiple awards are stacking up for this young star including A/B honor roll, Top hand award with FFA, All American cheerleader, social studies achievement award, English achievement award, best actress- About Face as Gretchen Kessler

Abbey is smart, nice, friendly, patient, understanding and compassionate.

She likes sports, reading, painting, cooking, acting.

Her many volunteer activities include Elementary cheer camp, Flatwood Cemetery Association volunteer clean up, and Shriner's Hospital

This star shines in her faithfulness to God and her steadfast hunger to know Him more! She is a positive role model to peers and is always there for someone in need of encouragement.

Noteworthy - Abbey has independently created and saved for a mission trip fund for herself that she hopes to take her senior year in high school.

www.snap1studios.com

Snap1Studios is pleased to present the 2015 Rising Stars!!!

Rising Stars are just what the name implies.  They're not seniors yet but still deserving of recognition.  They are fun, fabulous and full of potential.  This was the best group of girls to work with and we had so much fun!

It seemed appropriate to have some red, white and blue fun for summer!!!  

Stay tuned for more images and more information about each of these beautiful Rising Stars.  

I know school just got out and it seems like I should be talking about things related to summer but I've got school pictures on my mind and here's why.  This past spring I had the opportunity to do a spring portrait day for a school that I do school pictures for each fall.  I never dreamed I would have that much fun doing school pictures!  They were allowed to come to school in regular clothing rather than their uniforms and the minute I saw these adorable kids in their oh so cute outfits I was hooked on spring portrait day!  That's the reason they're on my mind.  I want to provide one or two more small private schools with school pictures this next school year.  So parents, if you are anything less than thrilled with your child's school pictures PLEASE recommend me to your school administrator or yearbook teacher and let me know you did.  I will actually be entering two of my school pictures in print competitions both on local and international levels.  This is a great way to get professional portraits at school picture prices!

"Photography is easy when you don't know anything about it but very difficult when you do"  This adapted quote by Edgar Degas about painting describes perfectly my professional photographer certification journey.  Those I've met along the way going through the same process know exactly what I'm talking about!  A hard journey it has been.  You see, you do not get to pass the rigorous standards of being a CPP until you have proven your self worthy both in knowledge by written exam and in practice by image submission before a panel of industry experts.

So why in the world would anyone want to make something that was once easy now hard?  Good question.  I mean clearly you don't have to be certified to practice photography professionally and obviously there are talented photographers who are not certified. I'd like to think I was one of them. ;) Besides, art is subjective anyway right?  You can't tie an artists hands with all those rules!  Right? I've probably said those exact things over the years each time I considered whether or not to pursue certification.  Well I now know more about why those rules are so important.  Many people and even artists know what looks good but don't always know why it looks good.  Trying to shoot for what looks good is a hit and miss process.   When you learn the rules and continuously practice those rules, you begin to truly understand why some things work and others just don't.  You begin to see and experience a new level of consistency and quality. Most importantly, it is when you can consistently control results that hands become untied.  Creativity doesn't have to have limits proportionate to skill level.  Then creativity can be unleashed, and with continued education and practice, creativity is limited only by the imagination!

Here is a small excerpt from the Professional Photographers of America's website.

See the Difference Certified Professional Photographers Make

Consistency. CPPs know how to achieve great results—every time. You get a strong collection of images that tell your story, and you will work with someone who knows how to produce a quality image under any circumstance. 

Initially I wanted to become certified so my clients could be confident that I have gone the extra mile to ensure that I know exactly what I'm doing even in the most challenging situations.  And that while I have my own personal style I also have the technical knowledge to create images that match my client's personal style. Today I am grateful to be a CPP for those reasons and many more that I wasn't expecting. Including the honor of being the only certified professional photographer in Granbury, Tx. 

The saying is true that the more you know about something the more you realize how much you don't know.  I plan to continue my education and begin my new goal of becoming a master of my craft through the Professional Photographers of America degree program.  

I just love it when clients come to me with great ideas and all I have to do is concentrate on the technical stuff... lighting, exposure, composition, depth of field, lens choice, setting & background, etc...  My absolute favorite is the belly shot!