She’s a wife, a mother, a daughter, and a teacher in her beloved Bellaire, and Sheri McAninch has evolved into a second career as a professional photographer.
MacSnaps Photography is located along 34th Street in Bellaire and Sheri will do everything from senior photos to family portraits to puppy pics, and she has at her disposal the rolling hills, historical sites, and all of the nooks and crannies the Upper Ohio Valley has to offer.
Now, as a teacher, McAninch is faced with an unprecedented time when a coronavirus threatens the health of every human being it infects. But this lady has spent her summer preparing for what confronts her, her colleagues, administrators, and the students and their parents. She acknowledged in-person instruction is best for all involved, but if the pandemic forces virtual learning once again she is confident the children are up to the task.
It’s about safety, of course, and that is why McAninch is prepared for all the options at a very uncertain time.
How are you preparing to return to the classroom when school begins in the state of Ohio? Please explain.
I am staying as flexible as possible. I am eager to build my online classroom, so that, should we find ourselves in another shut down, my students and I will be prepared. I plan to spend the first few days just getting them comfortable with the online learning piece. I want them to know what to do should we have to return to online learning. They did a great job in the spring with what we had to work with. Should something happen again, I want the transition to be practically seamless.
I am looking forward to being back in the classroom. We start the 20th and the kids come on the 31st. I feel that our district has a good plan in place and we will be prepared for whatever gets thrown our way. I know there is so much uncertainty among parents, staff and students. Things can change on a dime right now, and we just have to prepare the best we can for what is in front of us.
I keep telling parents to please be patient with the process. These are uncharted waters, and we are all doing the best we can to navigate them. I am optimistic that once school begins, things will be better.
How did you remain connected to your students when schools were shuttered in mid-March?
We used Google Classroom and email, and I had a Facebook group for parents to keep them informed, and I even resorted to Instagram to get information out and to stay in contact with my students. I was super impressed with how my students adapted to the changes.
Right off the bat, no one knew what to expect and we needed to come up with a plan. Once we did and got things rolling, the kids did great. While, I much prefer being in front of a group and seeing those “a-ha!” moments, or their excitement when they did something awesome, having to email or message each other to communicate did allow me some “one-on-one” instruction with each student. I was able to slow down a bit, and answer each question individually, rather than have five questions at once fired at me. LOL.
It wasn’t optimal, but it did have a few perks.
How have you and your family remained safe during the pandemic?
We spent a lot of time playing board games at first. It has been nice in the regard that we were able to spend more time together as a family. We are all sort of homebodies to begin with. Mac, the kids and I are content to fuss about the house/property doing things, so we just got to do it more.
It was nice to have our college kids home to eat meals with us, having everyone together more and when “curbside dining/shopping” became a thing, we used that opportunity to support as many small businesses as we could. Our kids all have pretty good heads on their shoulders, so they are good about continuing to be cautious/wear masks/social distancing. We are very blessed in that regard.
What was once a hobby has become a new career. Please offer the story about how you became a professional photographer and opened MacSnaps.
Initially, I was a mom taking pictures of her kids’ sports. I would take them and post them on social media. One day, I had two of the moms on my daughter’s softball team ask me to do senior pictures for their children. I just laughed, but they insisted!
From there it has taken on a life of its own. I started having more people ask, so in the spring of 2017, I started thinking that it might be God trying to tell me it is time to create a business. So, I got more serious about it and took an 18-month online program from the New York Institute of Photography.
Once I completed it, I became an official business in the state of Ohio in July of 2017. It has been a journey of pure faith. Currently, I have an office, a large indoor studio space and a beautiful outdoor studio and business is booming!
I owe a lot to my cousin Scott. He is a retired photographer and is my mentor, sounding board, and the one who pushes me and challenges me to continue to get better and grow. He never tires of my endless questions; he is honest and supportive. I could never show enough appreciation for his incredible influence.
I love being a small business in this area. The support is amazing. I love talking to my clients and hearing their stories. I love when my repeat clients get pictures taken every year and I can see their kids grow. I enjoy hearing about a seniors hopes & dreams for their future. And seeing a sweet newborn or seeing the joy on a toddler’s face as they smash their cake or run around my outdoor space is priceless.
That is what it is all about to me. Capturing those sweet, unposed moments that speak volumes.
What area in the Upper Ohio Valley offers the best backdrops for your photography?
Ohhh … that is tough. We are blessed with so many beautiful spaces in this area. I would have to say my outdoor space is top of my list. It is serene and offers several options for my sessions.
Location shoots? My favorite is doing shoots in the middle of Belmont Street near my studio in Bellaire. It is tricky, but with a person standing in the center of the road, and the Stone Bridge in the background, it has given me some really cool shots.
My other favorites are the Suspension Bridge, which is great right now because there is no traffic on it; The Castle (or The Overlook) always gives an edgy, colorful, fun backdrop; Centre Market has some incredible little spaces that give a real artsy feel to an image. Oglebay never disappoints, there is so much beauty up there.
Probably the most fun is finding little spaces or doors that everyone passes by every day and creating a beautiful image with it. There are so, so many hidden treasures around this valley so it makes it fun and I LOVE when someone knows of a new spot that I haven’t used before!
