Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Johnson.
Hi Sam, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have always loved art. Every year when I could choose my related arts class in school, my first choice was art. Once I got to high school, I took photography, and I haven’t stopped since. I loved what you can do with a camera and capturing moments. I continued to take every photography class I could throughout the school. But as much as I loved it, I didn’t think it was more than a hobby, so I went to college and let it slip. Fast forward to the summer of 2022, I moved back to Charleston and picked my “hobby” back up. I used it as a form of meditation, going to the beach before sunrise and spending time with myself. I captured beautiful moments and scenery that displayed the place I grew up. So I decided it was something that needed to be shared.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Photography is a difficult business to be in. Many people, especially in a beautiful city like Charleston, take pictures of similar subjects. So it can be easy to get down on yourself and think that others out there are better than you. I have struggled with this and continue to. But at the end of the day, it’s about the joy that it brings me, and I remind myself that my perspective is different from anyone else’s and how I perceive a subject could resonate with someone out there.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
At the start, I focused on beach scenery, whether the animals, the waves, the sunrise, or the sunset. Because the beach is my favorite place, I have a pull for these images and a passion for capturing these particular moments. And I am very proud of my photos at the beach. More recently, I have dipped my toe into the world of family photography and found that very rewarding. Giving people something to hold on to forever has been special.
We all have different ways of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success is a matter of how much joy you get from something. I never wanted my photography to become a bother to do. It gives me such peace, and I get so much enjoyment out of it that I didn’t want to ruin that. So, continuing to allow it to bring me joy, and be something I can put my all into, makes me feel successful.
Pricing:
- Photo shoots $70/hr minimum 1 hour
- Pricing for prints varies, which can be seen on my website
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.madebysamphotography.com/
- Instagram: @made.bysam
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/madebysammm?mibextid=LQQJ4d
