Hi, I am Erin Cernese.

I have loved photography since I was a little girl. I was fascinated with how cameras work to the point of breaking them. I finally took my first Photography class during my Senior year of high school. I loved it. That's when I decided I wanted to be a Photographer. I went to Nassau Community College and received an Associates Degree in Fine Arts with a Concentration in Photography. I use to spend my Saturdays in the dark room developing film and making prints all day. From there I went to LIU at C.W. Post. I received a BFA in Photography. My friends and I use to hang out in the dark room printing until 10 o'clock at night. We had so much fun. 

During this time I was also a Camp Counselor and a Dance Teacher. Hanging out with kids all day is so much fun. Unfortunately, I had to leave to get one of those "less fun" jobs. I didn't stay very long, from there I became a Photographer's Assistant. I really enjoyed getting back into th photo world. I missed it, however, it was only freelance. I then moved on to become a Photo Coordinator for Bed Bath & Beyond's website. Here I was able to use my knowledge of photography instead of being hands on. It was a nice change for a while but I really enjoyed and missed shooting.

Sweet Expressions Photography is a business that I have wanted to do for a long time now. What finally gave me the drive to do it was my daughter Abbygail. I discovered how much fun it was capturing those little moments to share with family and friends. In doing this, my passion for photography rose back to the surface. Also, having to leave my daughter every morning to go to a job that made me unhappy added to the drive to finally make this passion into a business. My job moving to another state kind of helped as well. 

When I finally made up my mind and decided exactly what type of photography I wanted to do, renovations started. My husband and I turned our basement into a Photography Studio. I started buying equipment to get me started as well. That was a lot of fun. Setting up the backdrops and lights brought me back to when I used to be a Photographer's Assistant. With that, my excitement grew. My friends and family helped me out with some test shoots to make sure my equipment was working well. For that, I am very thankful. 

The reason I have chosen to capture children in the candid form is because that's when you see who they are. When letting them pick out their own props to use in the studio, items they may bring to the location, or just them in their own environment, I get to learn their interests. This helps me capture their true personalities. I enjoy getting to meet such fun and interesting children.

Candid family portraits are another type of shoot I like to experience. They let me catch moments that some parents may not see. For instance, a child glancing up at their father with admiration while holding hands, or how safe a child feels with their mother's arms wrapped around them. These are moments that I enjoy catching for families to cherish.

One of my professors once said that they didn't like taking photographs of children because you don't see the toll their life experiences have had on them. Obviously because they haven't had any yet. I love taking photographs of children because of that innocence. They show everything they are feeling. They don't hold back, which I admire. If they are excited or upset, you know it. Their expressions are pure.

I hope you enjoy my site and all of these Sweet Expressions.