Cary Best, the owner and founder of Georgia Snaps Photography, is a professional photojournalist with 15 years of experience, trained at the University of Georgia's College of Journalism. His skills and talents were enhanced through newspaper work in many regions of the United States: Washington state, Florida, Virginia, and twice in the Chicago area, in addition to UGA's newspaper, The Red and Black, and the Athens Banner-Herald. It was in Chicago that Cary was given the nickname "Georgia Snaps," and he adopted it as his signature logo.
After 10 years of newspaper experience, Cary returned to his home town of Athens in 2000. North Georgia was always "home," and he loves the beautiful landscapes and the Southern way of life. He lives near the Broad River on the Madison-Elbert county line with his wife Charity and baby son Carraway.
"My wife and son are my best subjects. As a husband and new father, I have come to appreciate the importance of capturing the right moment in time. Of all the work I have done, I am most proud of the portraits I have made of Charity and Caraway."
Cary currently uses his photojournalism experience and passion for photography to capturing weddings. "I love the challenge of telling each couple's story. I have only one chance to capture their precious moments. Every glance, smile, laugh, and kiss provides me with a split-second opportunity for a lasting image. I strive to create beautiful artwork to frame and to show off over and over again, and to remind the couple of just how they felt that one special day."
- Education/Awards
- Bachelor of Arts and Sciences - Political Science, 8/1/93. University of Georgia.
- Advanced Photojournalism 1/8/97 - 3/25/97.
- Introduction to Photojournalism 8/25/96 - 12/8/96.
- Bachelor of Arts in Journalism - Public Relations, 6/10/97. University of Georgia.
- IPPA Honorable Mention January 2000; Sports
- Society of Professional Journalist Award for Best Student Picture Package 1997, southeast.
- Washington Press Association 1997 Communicator of Excellence Award First Place, Feature Photo.
- Washington Press Association 1997 Communicator of Excellence Award First Place, Rotating Subject.
- Newspapers/Experiences
- Daily Herald, Arlington Heights, Ill. 091499-091400
- Cape Coral Daily Breeze, Cape Coral, Fla. 101098-051599
- The Times, Hammond, Ind. 031898-091898
- Tri-City Herald, Kennewick, WA 082697-022698
- Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, GA 061097-081697
- Roanoke Times, Roanoke, VA 040197-060197
- Red & Black, Athens, GA (UGA Student Paper) 011297-032597
- Oconee Enterprise, Watkinsville, GA 030196-120196
- US Senator Sam Nunn, Press Office, 071591-1201-91
- Flagpole Magazine, Athens, GA 011291-060191
"We wanted our daughter's wedding to be the wedding she had dreamed of as a little girl. One of her first requests was for us to locate a photographer who was just as excited about her future wedding. We found that enthusiasm and excitement when we met with Cary Best because we immediately connected with him. He had wonderful ideas to include both the traditional wedding photos and to help us create the story of this very special event through photos. Our family is thrilled with the photos and we now have discovered a photographer for our future family needs. We highly recommend Cary for all your photographic needs."
Dwain and Nadine Wright
Nadine Wright
"We used Georgia Snaps for our daughter's wedding in May of 2005. We were very pleased with his professional manner during the ceremony. The pictures turned out great and we felt they were of good value. Also my daughter made the comment that Cary was a very easy-going photographer to work with. I would recommend Georgia Snaps to anyone looking for a photographer for a wedding or any other occasion."
Sincerely,
Alice D. Coile
"We looked at the pictures and they are so wonderful. We couldn't be more pleased and are so grateful to you. You were sure a pleasure to work with and made the day smooth. Thank you for having patience for our friends and family who were all over the place taking pictures also. We have had several inquiries about our pictures and photographer so I hope that you will get some business out of it. Please do not hesitate to use me as a reference, I would love to sing your praises."
Trisha Branan
Thank you for considering Georgia Snaps for your most special day.
We consider it to be a great privilege. We have been serving clients like you for 15 years.
We believe your wedding day should be enjoyable and relaxed. We will do everything in our power to assure you a memorable and rewarding experience.
Our wedding packages include a minimum of 5 hours of photography time. Additional hours are available at $125.00 per hour. We begin photographing two hours before the wedding in order to get you to the reception as soon as possible. You may take all of the photographs before the wedding if you desire, thus being able to go directly to your reception.
Deposit
A deposit of $500.00 is required to secure your wedding date. This applies to your package purchase. This is non-refundable in the event of cancellation.
Proofs
All proofs are 4x6 and are presented in a beautiful embossed proof album. This will serve as your order book. This will contain approximately 500-700 proofs.
Digital Files
Our weddings are shot with the finest professional digital cameras. Your package includes all of your digital images on a DVD. We will be happy to print any reorder for you. Your portraits will also be available online for purchase.
Reprint Prices
24 x 30 ----------------- $250.00
20 x 24 ----------------- $175.00
16 x 20------------------ $105.00
11 x 14------------------ $60.00
8 x 10 ------------------ $20.00
5 x 7 --------------------$15.00
9 wallets of same pose-$20.00
Canvas portraits are available by adding 50% to the above prices. All orders incur a 7% sales tax.
The Bridal Portrait Sitting may be made in my studio or on location. The charge is $125.00. You keep the proofs. This is a great opportunity to for a dress rehearsal.
The Signature Portrait is made at the time of your engagement sitting. We use a beautiful portrait of the two of you, frame it and mat it without the glass. It is displayed at the wedding and/or reception with your guests signing the mat. It makes a wonderful reminder of your wedding day!
Payments are made at three different times. The deposit of $500.00 is made when booking the wedding. The second payment is half the package price (minus deposit) due one month prior to the wedding, with the final half due on receipt of your wedding proofs.
Package A $3495.00
Proof album, 40 page 12 x 12 Designer Art Leather Album,
Two Parents 10 page 4 x 6 Albums,
Engagement & Bridal sittings,
Framed 16 x 20 Canvas Bridal Portrait,
Framed 16 x 20 Signature Portrait,
DVD, 4 Bonus 8 x 10’s, & unlimited time
Package B $3195.00
Proof album, 34 page 11 x 11 Designer Art Leather Album,
Engagement & Bridal sittings,
Framed 16 x 20 Canvas Bridal Portrait
Framed 16 x 20 Signature Portrait
2 Bonus 8 x 10’s, DVD, & unlimited time
Package C $2895.00
Proof album, 28 page 10 x 10 Designer Art Leather Album,
Engagement & Bridal sittings
Framed 11 x 14 Canvas Bridal Portrait
Framed 11 x 14 Signature Portrait
DVD, 8 hours
Package D $2295.00
Proof album, 24 page 10 x 10 Designer Ventura Album
Engagement sitting, DVD, 8 hours
Package E $1695.00
Proof album, DVD, 5 hours