Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashante Harrison.
Hi Ashante, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My love story with photography began well before I was old enough to realize it. As a young girl, I realized the importance of photographs and the memories they help preserve. Around age 7 or 8, I began collecting old pictures of my family, many taken before birth. I loved hearing the background story behind each Polaroid, featuring beloved family members, some of whom I never got the pleasure to meet. I was mesmerized that a single image could be meaningful, precious, and nostalgic. As cliché as it is, it’s true – a picture is worth a thousand words. Fast forward to more than 20 years later – It wasn’t until then that God connected the dots between my childhood and my destiny. Before that, photography was never something I had planned for myself. Jobless amid the crazy 2020 pandemic, I desired to find a creative outlet. With my mind set on starting my own YouTube channel, my mother and brother bought me my first DSLR camera and changed my life. Even though I now own a camera, professional photography was still the furthest thing from my mind. One day, on a whim, I was asked to take pictures after an intimate wedding ceremony of one of my mother’s friends. I jokingly remember telling my mom in the car, “Well, I’m just gonna make a Facebook page and call it “Shot By Shanté,” that’s the moment it started. I spent the following years photographing anything I could – hundreds of birthday portrait sessions, infant sessions, product photography, headshots, events, and family and holiday sessions before truly falling in love with wedding photography. I still do those types, but I truly love wedding photography!
Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
I’m a self-taught photographer, and that has been a challenge all on its own. Everything I’ve learned and taught myself – and growing and grooming my skills was (and still is) a labor of love. There are plenty of frustrations, late nights, trial and error, etc, but that feeling you get when you’ve figured something out or someone comments on your growth – nothing can compare to that. I was also lucky to have clients even at the beginning of my career in 2020 when I was getting my feet wet. I feel blessed to have had people trust me enough to hire me as a newbie with minimal experience.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on? What else should we know about what you do?
I don’t just take pictures; I get to meet and build amazing relationships with awesome people, which I love. When I meet my clients, even for the first time, energy constantly recharges me and re-affirms why I do what I do. As I’ve grown my business and gained repeat clients, the most fulfilling thing has been the fruition of these long-lasting relationships. It brings me more joy than I can explain.
What does success mean to you?
Happiness is knowing without a shadow of a doubt that I am living and walking in the purpose that God has created for me. In my early 20s, I remember feeling like I was wandering through life. I knew that there was something special that I was meant to do, but I had yet to learn what it was. As humans, we spend so much time asking God to show us our purpose and his will in our lives— we must also have the courage to begin to walk in our purpose when he reveals it to us, as scary as starting may be. I think that’s where a lot of people become stuck.
Pricing:
- Wedding Pricing is available online via my website.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shotbyshante.com
- Instagram: @shotbyshantephotography
- Facebook: Shot By Shante Photography
Image Credits
Aaron Smalls
