About me.
I’m a Philadelphia-based creative consultant and freelance photo editor. I work with photographers and brands to help them choose the visuals that define their vision.
In 2017 I launched Stacy Swiderski Consulting after resigning from my role as the Senior Photo Editor at Wonderful Machine. Shortly afterward, I co-founded Philly Reps. On a daily basis, I consult with photographers on all aspects of their work and brand, from creative coaching and portfolio development to website and project edits, as well as providing personalized marketing support.
I love what I do, but what I love even more, is seeing the talented people I work with succeed and support themselves and their families while being true to their creative selves. I realize how lucky we all are to be doing WHAT WE DO, and I don’t ever take that for granted, neither should you.
If you’re into resumes
I’m a proud art school grad with an MPS in Digital Photography from The School of Visual Arts and a BFA in Photography, with Honors, from Parsons School of Design. Prior to working in the commercial photography realm, I taught photography at the university level and was an exhibiting fine art photographer.
If you’re into the stuff that matters
I got my start in photography when I was about 6 or 7 years old, digging through a treasure trove of vintage silver prints in my grandparent’s bureau. My grandmother would share these photos with me as a treat whenever I was visiting.
My grandfather, Joseph Swiderski, was a photographer. My grandmother, his muse. While they were dating and early on in their marriage, he printed hundreds of images of her. He photographed her, their courtship, the 1940s vibe, and then their young family continuously with his 35mm Pentax and printed those negatives in his basement darkroom. These images are my life, they tell my story, and they’ve brought me to where I am today.
I would take these mounds of perfectly printed photos into their parlor, sit on the floor at their marble coffee table, and flip through them one by one... putting aside my favorites in one pile... putting aside the ‘who is this’ and ‘where was that’ images in another, and then putting them all away when I was done being transported to a completely different time, looking through life via my grandparents’ eyes.
I did this for years. Every so often, my grandmother would reveal more images or a scrapbook from some hidden spot that I knew nothing about. In time, she started sending me home with them, a few here and a few there, and then one day in my early teens she pretty much gave me all of them. That was a golden, solidifying moment for me right there, one that I will never forget.
To this day when I think about all the things that I possess in life, these prints are by far the most cherished, the most meaningful and the most important to me.
This is my creation story. This is why I do what I do.
Interested in working together?
I work with a wide spectrum of photographers, ranging from commercial and editorial, to retail and fine art, at any stage of the Creative Process. Whether you simply want another set of eyes to look at your work and pull selects for a project gallery or promo, or you want a complete website overhaul, I’ve got you covered. All it takes is an email.