Find the South Carolina Photographer You Are Looking For Today

Locate award winning Photographers in Greenville SC and Columbia who specialize in commercial, portrait, modeling, child modeling and wedding photography.
Browse Myrtle Beach Photographers and photography services for a wedding, mitzvah or Beach Wedding in Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand of South Carolina.
See collections of professional photographs from Hilton Head Island photographers who specialize in "Family on Beach Portraits," Model Photography, Island Beach Weddings and Pet Photography.
Have your photographs turned into Custom made portraits using photography, watercolor and canvas.
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Are you a model? Get your headshots and portraits, Artistic Nudes and Glamour photos.
Are you a professional photographer? Find Camera Shops in your area that carry Photo Software for digital cameras, photographers, journalists, photo librarians and amateur photographers.
Make certain you are comfortable with the individual photographer you choose, as well as the company’s photography approach.

Find the Professional Photographer, Family Portrait Studio, and Photography information you are looking for by clicking any Region on our map above, or by clicking www.Classifieds.sc, or www.Directory.sc.

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Capturing South Carolina Memories Through The Lens of a Photographer

Pictures reflect both our good times and, on occasion, our bad times. But it is due solely to the skill and artistry of the photographer that our South Carolina memories are so well captured in clear images that can last for decades. Photos serve as a visual legacy in many South Carolina families that are passed down from generation to generation. Every major event and milestone in our lives—births, birthdays, graduation, weddings—can be saved for posterity because of still photography. As noted earlier, good photography is as much an art form as competent technical skill. Getting a photographer who can combine both is the individual who makes your pictures come alive.

How photography works

Photography is the process of recording pictures by means of capturing light on a light-sensitive format, such as chemically treated film or, in the case of digital cameras, an electronic sensor. Much like the human eye, light patterns reflected or emitted from the objects of the photographer’s focus expose the sensitive chemicals of film or the electronic medium during a timed period of exposure. The camera then stores these images, either for later development or retrieval.

Types of photography

There are three major types of still photography that use a camera to capture the images. These are:

Black-and-white: Beginning with its development in the early 19th Century, all photography was originally black-and-white, or monochrome. Black-and-white film continued to be the standard for photography for almost a century after the invention of color film. Even after color film was readily available, black-and-white photography continued to dominate due to its lower cost and its "classic" photographic look. Today, most black-and-white photography has become a small specialized art form outside the scope of mainstream photography.
Color photography: With the first successful image produced by photography in the 1820s, color film was explored in the mid-1800s. Early experiments with color film were unsuccessful because the color faded. The first commercial color film reached the market in France in 1907. The first American color film, Kodachrome, was introduced by Kodak in the late 1930s. The most common form of color film photography used now results in color negatives from which to print color photographs. This development later resulted in the introduction of automated photo printing equipment.
Digital photography: This type of still photography arose because traditional film photography was not able to compete with television in terms of the speed that was needed for newspaper photos. This was mainly due to a lack of easy access to film processing labs. The first truly digital camera wasn’t introduced to the commercial market until 1990 by Kodak. Digital imaging uses an electronic image sensor to record the image as a set of electronic data rather than as chemical changes on film. One problem with digital photography is the fact that, unlike film photography, images can easily be manipulated. For that reason, many South Carolina courts today will not accept digital images as evidence because of this real possibility for manipulation.

Styles of photography

There are various styles of still photography that are defined both by the subject matter and by the final consumer or market for the resulting photos. In the commercial photography world, the major styles are:

Fashion photography: Sometimes called "glamour photography", the concept is to produce photos that accentuate and flatter the fashions (clothes, shoes, accessories) that the models wear or the models themselves to create a positive image.
Nude photography: On occasion this can be an artistic presentation of the human body but on most occasions it is photography taken to appeal to prurient interests instead.
Still life: This style of photography is strictly to show off inanimate subject matter that is either man-made or natural in origin.
Advertising photography: Photographs produced in this style are meant to illustrate an image associated with a particular product or service being offered by a South Carolina business. Usually a team of photographers, commercial designers and ad agencies head up this process.
Photojournalism: These photos are taken at the point of origin exactly as a particular event happens or in the event’s aftermath. Photos in this style of photography are meant to illustrate a news story in newspapers.
Editorial photography: Images are produced that illustrate either a story or a concept or idea in a magazine.
Portrait and wedding photography: Photographs made and sold directly to the end user of the images. A customer hires a commercial photographer to capture a specific event or individual on film.
Fine art photography: Photographs made to fulfill the vision of the photographer or the concept of the individual or organization that commissioned the photographs. These are reproduced to be sold directly to the customer.
Landscape photography: Photographs of different locations made to be sold to tourists as postcards. This can also include aerial photography.

South Carolina organizations that have a need for photography have several options. A member of that particular group can shoot the photo themselves (usually the case with newspapers and magazines) or hire someone to shoot exactly the subject they choose. Others will actually run public competitions to gather independent photograph submissions and choose among them. Finally a business or organization can obtain the rights to what are known as stock photographs, which are usually general in nature. Many more South Carolinians take photographs not for commercial purposes but for self-fulfillment and private image recording purposes.

Photography aspects

The various aspects and techniques of photography are the factors that produce photographs that convey deep feeling or meaning to the viewer. The trained eye of the experienced South Carolina photographer is the necessary ingredient to utilizing his or her tool, the camera, to show still images that will get the beholder to feel what the photographer intends.

South Carolina photographers note that the feeling of an image is not the emotion felt by the viewer. Rather the feeling of a photograph means that the image’s feel is a manipulation of the way in which the photo is represented. Examples include: an image that is soft and fuzzy or hard and sharp. The feel of a photograph usually is created by lighting and the image’s depth of field.

Emotion is what is contained within the image that is almost always related to expression and body language. It is this quality that photographers strive to see in models they use for their photography. The subject of the photograph itself conveys the emotion.

Drama in photography is all about contrast or the difference between light and dark and movement. An image is dramatic if you can only see one side of a person’s face or any single part of the photo’s subject and it leaves you to wonder what is in the shadow.

The use of color is that element in a photograph that makes it "pop." The lighting, the clarity, the stark contrast between colors makes the picture jump out at the viewer. In the past over-the-top color was a result of the film used in the camera but now this is created in post-production photo processing.

Photography techniques

Although there are a number of photography classes that are taught from public secondary schools to photojournalism and marketing photography curricula in various college and universities or even at your local South Carolina technical college, the basic techniques for good photography has changed very little. It is in these techniques that the photographer goes from being a weekend shutterbug to actively looking for the perfect set of factors that will create an image that evokes more than just memories in the viewer.

The theories of photography start with a basis for good picture composition known for centuries as the "Golden Mean" or "Golden Section." A geometric formula created by the ancient Greeks, the principal states geometric lines that can be traversed when viewing a photographic composition makes for a harmonious picture. The Golden Mean was a major guideline for many artists/painters so it is certainly worth to have in mind for modern day photographers as well.

The "Rule of the Thirds" is actually nothing else than a simplification of the "Golden Mean." The basic philosophy behind it is to avoid a symmetric composition. Some South Carolina photographers consider this boring because the view is centered. The "Rule of the Thirds" can follow two concepts:

Divide the image into two distinct areas which cover 1:3 and 2:3 of the size of the picture. Or the second possible application is directly based on the Golden Mean. By way of example, one can assume there is a landscape that is pretty but lacks a major feature or other interesting geometric structure. To avoid a photograph of an empty landscape you find an object that provides a contrast to the surroundings and background and use it as the picture’s anchor—the object that first draws the eye to it and encourages a further observation.
Another photography technique is called framing. Sometimes a huge object exists within a scene. In order to avoid having the impressive image dominate the entire photo (since the object could look less impressive with wasted space around it) you can frame other like elements around the object that will eliminate the surroundings as unimportant because they focus the viewer on the intended dominant subject of the picture.

Crossing lines or diagonals are actually again another simplification of the Golden Mean. The basic idea is to provide a sort of "guideline" for the eyes to follow in a photograph. It is a good idea to place the start or end of the line to one of the extreme edges. The classical approach states that the upper left edge is the best starting point because most humans start to traverse a picture from here but this rule can be broken.

Choosing a photographer

The best thing to remember on going about choosing the right photographer for your event or portrait is defining exactly what you need. Photographers specialize in the various styles of photography as much as any other professional may specialize in different areas of their occupation.

After you gather personal recommendations from friends and family or acquaintances that have had a similar style of photography done for them (portraits, weddings, etc.) then:

Interview several photographers. A professional South Carolina photographer should be willing to find out what you want in your photos and ask questions about the subjects. A photographer needs this information to create images that tell the story you want to have told. Make sure the photographer has a very clear understanding of what you need. If possible, bring along pictures that represent what you are after.
Find out about any style variations. What kind of take do you want on your photos? Are you looking for a realistic, journalistic style or are you after softer images that have a fantasy quality to them? You should find out if the photographer has experience in that area.
Look at samples of the photographer’s work. As part of the interview you should ask to see some of the photographer’s work. This will give you an idea of both the style and quality each photographer provides.
Additional services offered. Some professional photographers may provide what are known as specialized post-production services in addition to the actual photography. Retouching; photograph restoration and custom framing could be among these services. Even if the photographer does not offer such services he or she will likely be able to recommend another professional with who they often work to provide additional services.
Ask about credentials. Membership in a professional association, certification or a photography degree shows a certain level of commitment to the profession. These types of credentials can help you determine which photographer is right for you.
Check references. A friend’s recommendation, the Better Business Bureau and professional associations like the Chamber of Commerce are excellent sources of information.

A good South Carolina photographer can make all the difference in creating images that you can share for generations. And, who know? You may even pick up the photography bug yourself.