Today we’d like to introduce you to Sasha Johnson.
Hi Sasha, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hi! I’m Sasha, owner of Sasha Q. Photography. When it comes to being a photographer, I’ve always had an interest in cameras and photos. The earliest memory that I have when it comes to having a camera in my hand, is when my uncle bought me my first ever digital camera back in Middle school. I remember carrying around that little Kodak camera everywhere. But it wasn’t until 2015 where the interest really came in and I remember sitting in a room with one other person, and I said “I want to buy a camera and learn photography”. Crazy thing is…I had absolutely no knowledge on where to even begin or what kind of camera to even look for. I remember talking to my mom about it later that afternoon, and I started going around to different tech shops to see what I could get (as I also had no idea on HOW much cameras cost). So, for my first camera, I ended up with a Nikon and well let’s just say I wasn’t a fan. It was doable in the beginning but I felt there was better, so I ended up switching to Canon. And from there, things just developed. I reached out to someone who I knew was also a photographer from high school, to get advice and she was very intentional about helping me learn camera settings, lighting, etc. & from that connection I ended up joining a group called the Queen Photographers of SC. I would say that QPSC is really what got me to where I am today. The community, the friendships, the advice, etc. it all helped to develop Sasha Q. Photography.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Oh gosh no! Being an entrepreneur, in general, isn’t “smooth”. The struggle that comes with being a photographer is “everyone is a photographer”, and with that sometimes you lose sight of YOU & YOUR BUSINESS. You look at other people’s work (especially on Instagram) and instantly think that you have to be like them or wonder why you aren’t booking as much as they are. Imposter syndrome is real. But one of the most important lessons for me was finding myself and the heart of why I do what I do. I had to learn to stay true to my values, learn to not undervalue myself for someone else’s pockets, and say no to the things that I KNEW I didn’t want to do.
We’ve been impressed with Sasha Q. Photography, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Sasha Q. Photography is a Portrait/Family Photography business based in Greenville, SC but I also love to travel. I have photographed just about everything, but I really enjoy photographing families and children (some of my photog friends still don’t see how I do it ). I believe after working in the daycare/preschool setting for almost 7yrs and being able to make true genuine connections with families, it just became natural for me to be able to narrow down my niche when it came to what I really wanted to be known for as a photographer. As a family photographer, it’s more than just showing up for your session. I really like to have fun. I like to make connections before every session, which is why I now offer consultation calls. Having a consultation call helps to ease the nerves of not only myself but my clients as well before the session and to make sure that we are a good fit for each other. After the consultation call, the booking process begins. I also started offering a new service this year, called Style & Select. With style & select, once the the booking is confirmed, I provide my clients with an access code, that allows for them to use the service to help style themselves/their family for their upcoming portrait session.
What makes you happy?
Aside from photography, pizza and Starbucks is truly what makes me happy. Kidding (serious). Honestly, being with my family. I have quite a large family and LOTS of cousins, so I’m used to being surrounded by people and being at large family functions. Growing up, my family would get together every year for family reunions and would have family get-togethers every 3rd Saturday, so we were always together. Even now, now that we are all older and some have children, we have made it a priority to still get together once a month. And seeing us all together, even in our 30’s when we’ve been together since birth…it’s mind-blowing. So being around them brings me great joy, especially after I’ve had a busy month or even a long week.
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@sashaqphotography.com
- Website: www.sashaqphotography.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/becomingsashaq
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/sashaqphotography
Image Credits
Sasha Q. Photography
Wooten Photography
