Sarah McTernen - Tacoma Photographer

In 2004, I made the decision to create Ardent Photography; an on-site studio that would cater to individuals who wanted portraits that reflected their unique personality. I wanted to give people an opportunity to have quality portraits taken at affordable prices without the stuffy nature of a studio. I remember sitting through seemingly eternal evenings at portrait studios trying to get the "perfect family photo." Of course, by the time we got to the studio, someone had found a new stain or torn a shirt or fouled up the precisely done hair. Then we would get into the small room where the camera was, and be positioned as mannequins for the ideal portrait. The pictures were always "nice" but never an accurate representation of my family. I had the same experience when having my senior pictures taken years later. Most of the pictures I hated, because they were very fake and did not display my true self. Ardent is here to offer the opportunity to have portraits that capture the real you.

Beyond portraiture, I am an artist. When I first started shooting with those disposable cameras, I was taking mostly pictures of my friends. As the years went on I moved away from the mantra that I had heard so much in my youth, "A picture is no good if it does not have a person standing in it." I began taking photographs of the thing in my life I thought were beautiful. Some of these pictures were still of people, but greater amount were of the sky, trees and full ashtrays at local hangouts. With these images I began to hone my skill for lighting and set up. I would love to share my unique vision of the world with people and local businesses whether through stock images that I already have on hand or specific projects for businesses and individuals.

Please let me know if you have any questions, either about Ardent or about myself, by e-mailing me at photographer@ardentphotography.com or if it is directly associated with the functionality of the website at webs@ardentphotography.com and my technical advisor will look into the issue.

Thank you,

Sarah McTernen
Photographer/Owner

I had been an amateur photographer (aka not selling anything) for eight years before starting Ardent Photography in 2005. When I was a child, my father was a photographer with his bag full of lenses and filters, but my drive to capture the world on film was sparked by a fortuitous Christmas gift from my aunt of a disposable camera. That is what began this habit I have yet to shake. I bought over twenty disposable cameras in the following four years before I finally doled out the money for a cheap point and shoot Vivitar. The Vivitar only lasted a few months as I yearned for more creativity and more control. In 2001, I turned to a photographer friend of mine and requested a camera recommendation. He suggested I go digital. After doing my research, I did, buying an Olympus C3030z. From then on out my destiny was sealed and my hard drive was full. Since that time I have upgraded to a new digital SLR. The SLR provides me with more control over the final image and RAW format pictures which are closer to 35mm negatives than any pervious file formats.