Sandy Puc'
Sandy "Sam" Puc' | |
---|---|
Born |
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States | November 26, 1969
Nationality | American |
Known for | Photography |
Sandy "Sam" Puc' (born November 26, 1969) is an internationally acclaimed photographer, commercial video producer, speaker, educator, author, and businesswoman.[1] She shares her knowledge, experience, and passion for photography through many US speaking engagements, international tours, and her instructional website, SPTV.me. A 20+-year veteran of photography, Sandy served on the Board of Directors of the Professional Photographers of America for many years.[2] She holds the prestigious titles of Print Master and Explorer of Light from Canon USA.[3] Her images have been displayed in numerous magazines, public and professional buildings, billboards and showcased on television. She also shares her abilities with the media when they are in need of professional expertise and has been featured on television and radio as a portrait photography expert. A frequent contributor to professional journals, Sandy is the published author of several books on photography. She also has a comprehensive line of educational materials available to colleagues on her SPTV.me website.
Life
Puc' was born in Salt Lake City, UT and raised in Orem, UT, one of five children of Sandra and Ron Critchfield. Even as a child, Puc' was an entrepreneur. She would stay up all night catching night crawlers to sell to the local fisherman, picked cherries by the pound, and sold fresh gladiolas door to door.
Sandy now makes her home in Louviers, Colorado with her children, and their dog, Canon. Her eldest children reside in Utah, while her youngest daughter currently attends high school in Littleton. Her third child, Nikolai, is also a photographer at Sandy Puc' Photography, while attending college in Denver.
Career
Photography
Puc' began her career as a photographer at the age of 17 when she was a nanny, taking photographs of children in local parks. As a young mother, she moved from Utah to Littleton, CO. During her first half dozen years in Colorado, she worked out of her home, using her master bedroom as a studio. If she needed to photograph more than five people, she would back into her master bathroom and stand in the sink to capture the image. In 2000, Sandy opened her first commercial studio, 2,000 square feet, in a strip mall in Littleton, CO. After a few years, the studio was able to acquire more space, adding an additional 3,000 square feet.
Early in her career, Puc' focused on children's photography, creating several Limited Edition series portraits. Featuring both whimsical and classic portrait settings, Limited Edition portraits were created to provide an extraordinary photo session. Each scene was custom built to look as realistic as possible and draw children into a magical world of make-believe.
She also photographed families, and soon began to specialize in pregnancy and newborn portraiture.
Known for her marketing acumen and daring plunge into the technology of digital photography, Sandy became a sought-after speaker at national photography conferences and seminars.
While on a business trip/family vacation in 2009, Puc' and two of her children (and several hundred others) were detained because someone on their flight to China was diagnosed with the H1N1 virus. The week-long experience was unpleasant, but it stirred an interest in China that resulted in Sandy returning to the country several times to speak, and to film an orphan documentary in 2014.
Video Producer
In 2009 Puc' founded Sandy Puc' Productions, a commercial video studio where she serves the business community and charitable organizations, producing both commercial spots and documentaries.
Educator
In 2008, Puc' founded Sam's World University, an online educational tool for photographers. That endeavor later transitioned to Sandy Puc' University. In 2011, she debuted SPTV.me, another online, all-encompassing training site committed to providing photography professionals and photographic hobbyists with encouragement, information, tips, and equipment and prop recommendations. Revamped in 2014 to include her educational site as well, SPTV.me became an acclaimed talk show that included six rotating hosts and guest speakers to assist photographers in refining their craft and advancing their business.
Philanthropy
- 2000—Because of a life-threatening condition her youngest son endured during his first year of life, Puc' created an annual Santa Charity event. The event, one of the most popular sessions of the year, photographs children in elaborate holiday sets with Santa Claus and raises thousands of dollars each year for Children's Hospital Colorado.
- 2003—Puc' began the studio's annual Halloween Charity (costumed portrait sessions on the porch of a "haunted house") to benefit The Food Bank of the Rockies.
- 2005—Along with Cheryl Haggard, Puc' founded Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep (organization) an international non-profit organization that provides remembrance photography to families who suffer the loss of a baby.
- 2014—Puc' traveled to China with CCAI (adoption service) to document a group of parents uniting with their children, and also the Lily Orphan Centers run by CCAI.
- 2014—Puc' and photographer Nikolai Puc' traveled to Ecuador to film at an orphanage owned by Dando Amor, a non-profit organization that aids orphans.
Tours
SandyPucTours.com. Since 2008, Puc' traveled each year to 40+ cities nationwide to teach and demonstrate the latest in photography craft and business practices.
Publications
- Puc, Sandy; (2008). Sandy Puc' Guide To Childrens Portrait Photography.
- Puc, Sandy (2012). The Really Big Book of Studio Management.
- Puc, Sandy (2013). The Really Big Book of Studio Pricing.
- Puc, Sandy (2013). Bellies to Babies.
Awards
- Print Master and Explorer of Light from Canon USA
- 2013, L'oreal Paris Women of Worth[4]
- 2012, Framed Network's Humanitarian of the Year award for her work with NILMDTS
- 2008, Publication of Working with Children
- 2008, PPA Charities Legacy Award
- 2007, USA Print Master
- 2007, ANNE Marketing Award
- 2007, 7 Everyday Hero Award (KMGH TV)
- 2007, Best of the Best, Colorado Community Newspaper
- 2007, Monte Zucker Humanitarian Award — Wedding & Portrait Photographers International
- 2007, Paul Harris Fellow Award—Rotary Club International
- 2005, Masters in Photography, Professional Photographers of America, Board of Directors
References
- ↑ "Sandy Puc'". Huffingtonpost.com. 2012-12-27. Retrieved 2013-10-13.
- ↑ "About". PPA. Retrieved 2013-10-13.
- ↑ "Sandy Puc' | Cotton Carrier Camera Systems — Camera Vest Carry-Lite StrapShot Steady Shot". Cottoncarrier.com. Retrieved 2013-10-13.
- ↑ "Women of Worth Award". Points of Light. Retrieved 2013-10-13.