Photographer Sandy Stolzman’s story on her Alpha Universe profile reads, “After many years in the design industry, I’ve finally returned to my love of photography. As a semi-retired person, I have been able to support my travels and equipment through imagery sales. My Sony mentors are Colby Brown and Christina Mittermeier. They take photography to a new level by making the world a better place. I hope through the mural work I’ve been blessed to create I can bring a bit of joy, escape and relief for many at a difficult time in life. Sony rules!”

We connected with Stolzman to learn more about her passion for photography . Learn more about her and see some of her work below. Create your own Alpha Universe Profile HERE for your own chance to be featured.

Sandy Stolzman's Alpha Universe Profile. See more HERE. 

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Career Snapshot

A very cliché experience you might say; as a kid I was always in love with art – that was the start of it for me. And while in high school, I had the chance to develop film images in the darkroom and I was immediately hooked, it was magic. Later on, in high school, I was selected in New Haven county to study half days at “The Educational Center for the Arts,” a program for the arts where graduate students from nearby Yale University were our teachers. There, I studied both photography and sculpture. I continued my college education in fine art and then eventually went mainstream to become an interior designer and ultimately into commercial furniture sales where I was a manufactures’ rep. Fast forward…after 38 years in the furniture industry, servicing the design community, I am now semi-retired and grateful to be able to return to my love of photography. I truly enjoyed the relationships I had made in the design industry and wanted to continue to work with the same architects and designers I had come to know so well. Combining my interior design skills along with photography, I create large scale photo murals and photo art programs for end users through collaborations with my former colleagues. Much of my recent work has been utilized in major hospitals and office buildings in the Philadelphia and NY areas.

Photo by Sandy Stolzman. Sony α7R III. Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master. 1/10-sec., f/9.5 ISO 100

When I head out on a shoot. I become totally absorbed. The camera has far better eyes than me, and I’m always in amazement of the details that I regularly capture in my photographs. I’ve found that there is always a secret hidden within the images! To me, the most challenging part of photography that is ever changing and advanced (i.e., complicated) is the technology component. I did not have a personal computer in college, so for me, the post-processing end of photography is a constant challenge and something that I am always working to improve on and to continue learning. This aspect of photography seems ever evolving to me and is a constant challenge to master, but I consider it a critical part of the craft.

Photo by Sandy Stolzman. Sony α9 II. Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master. 1/1000-sec., f/8 ISO 1600

Why I Shoot With Sony

Once I knew I was ready to sell my furniture business, it became obvious that photography would be the next chapter in my career. I chose Sony for two reasons. At the time, Sony was going mirrorless and was so advanced compared to the competition. The bonus to this was that the cameras were lightweight and compact. I began with a Sony RX7 and I have been shooting with Sony for seven years now.

Photo by Sandy Stolzman. Sony α9 II. Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master. 1/60-sec., f/8 ISO 100

My Go-To Sony Gear

I use both the α7R III and α9 II camera bodies currently for my imagery. My trifecta is the 24-105mm f/4 G, 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master and 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master. The 24-105mm f/4 G, the 16-35mm f/2.8 GM and the 90mm f/2.8 Macro G can usually be found on my α7R III for my mural and landscape work. I most often will use the α9 II for wildlife photography paired with the 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM. It is the perfect fast combo for me that I can still hand hold if necessary.

Photo by Sandy Stolzman. Sony α7R III. Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master. 1/1600-sec., f/7.1, ISO 400

What Photography Means To Me

Photography has now come full circle for me and has opened up the next chapter in my life by allowing me to continue to express myself creatively. I consider getting that “next great image” to be a bit of an obsession for me. To see one of my photo mural installations come to life brings me the hope that I could possibly brighten someone’s day. A few years ago, I had the great fortune to travel to Cuba on a photo workshop with Colby Brown, a Sony Artisan. To this day I think I can say we have remained friends and I consider him my mentor. Everyone whom I’ve ever met through Sony has been most helpful to me and expanded my knowledge and associations. I certainly do consider myself part of the Sony family!

Photo by Sandy Stolzman. Sony α7R III. Sony 24-105mm f/4 G. 1/350-sec., f/9.5 ISO 250

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