Conversations with Sydney Snider

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sydney Snider.

Hi Sydney, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
My journey with photography started in 2007. I was fortunate enough to travel to Europe through the People to People student ambassador program. The experiences I had and the thousands of photos I took on my Samsung 5MP camera really started my love for photography.

From there, I took a photography and darkroom class in high school and went on to go to college at GVSU for photography and advertising. Most of the classes I took were 35mm film-based, so I spent A LOT of time outside of class learning digital photography. I photographed my friends senior photos, concerts for local bands and mainly focused on self-portraiture. Some of my self-portraits were published in a book “Shooting Yourself” by Haje Jan Kamps.

In 2012 I photographed my first wedding and was immediately hooked. There’s something so special about photographing a wedding day, it’s fast pace and full of excitement and love. In 2016, I quit my day job in hospitality and went full-time with photography. I’m now on my 11th wedding season and have no plans of stopping any time soon. This is truly my dream job.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Not at all. It started right from the beginning fourteen years ago, when I told my parents I wanted to go to college for photography. Before I made my decision to pursue photography, I actually wanted to be an epidemiologist and study diseases. The sudden change in career path really upset my parents, and I was met with lots of discouragement and being told that I need to do something else to be able to afford a roof over my head. This really built a rift between me and my parents my senior year of high school into college. Don’t worry; we’re totally fine and closer than ever now. My parents are my biggest fans!

After college, I struggled for a few years balancing a full-time job with photography. There would be times that I would work a night shift, drink an energy drink and get ready to photograph a wedding. But that’s what I had to do to keep my dream alive but also afford my rent. When I decided to go full-time with photography, I actually turned down a huge promotion at the hotel I was working at. The new owners wanted to promote me to general manager, but the catch was that they wanted me to work on Saturdays. With weddings that wasn’t going to work, and I didn’t want to sacrifice something I’d been already working hard towards for years.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a wedding and engagement photographer based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. My photography style is best described as timeless and vibrant with an editorial feel. The images I deliver have true-to-life editing and are full of candid moments mixed in with gorgeous portraits. I want couples to be able to look back 20 years from now and remember what it felt like in those moments, not that their photos look dated.

Communication will always be my number one priority. From day one, I want to make sure couples feel comfortable and confident in choosing me as their photographer. I am very hands-on and involved with my couple’s wedding planning, and the experience I give is a combination of my 11 years as a wedding photographer. Being on the same page every step of the way is so important to make sure that nothing is missed.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Unless you’ve read my website about me page or met me in person, you’d never know that I’m only 4’9! My photos don’t look like they were taken at a lower angle, which is something I’ve had other photographers compliment me about when finding out my height. I believe my size gives me an advantage to blend into the background when I need to at weddings and also fuels how detail-oriented I am.

Pricing:

• 2024 wedding pricing starts at $5200
• 2023 engagement sessions start at $600

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sydneymariephotography.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sydneymariephotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sydneymariephoto