We were lucky to catch up with Jonathan Amponsah recently and have shared our conversation below.
Jonathan, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
I came up with the idea for my business in my second year of University. I was in the Bachelor of Arts in communication and media program so I did everything related to media and communication. In my second semester of my second year I took a photography class and really enjoyed learning about it, then the idea of creating my own business came to mind, I didn’t know anything about running a business but I started anyways. Along the way I did my research on how to run a business and how to get better at photography. Fast-Forward here I am with a successful business.
Jonathan, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Well, my name is Jonathan Amponsah I was born in Ghana,West Africa and moved to Canada in 2004 my life journey also took me to live in London,England for a few years before returning to Canada and finishing the rest of my education. I am an alumni of Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, British Columbia. I got into the business through a course I took in my second Year at university. It was hard at first because I did not know what I was doing but as time went I got better and started seeing results I decided my Niche was going to be Portrait and Wedding photography. What sets me apart from others is my creativity and the work I do for every shoot, I think my work ethic and the fact I go above and beyond and also take constructive criticism as a positive thing is what sets me apart. I’m proud of how far I’ve come because during my journey I wanted to give because of personal issues but I thank God I didn’t and I’m still here. I can guarantee you that you’ll get the best when you book me I also love to travel and take photos
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
One lesson I had to unlearn is that a good review doesn’t always mean your work is good. Let me explain, I had a shoot in my first year of starting my business keep in mind that I had no idea what I was doing, so I had this shoot and after that shoot I delivered the photos to the client she said she loved them but I had a feeling she wasn’t telling the truth. One day my mentor told me something I’d never forget he said “don’t think you’ve made it just because of a couple good reviews” and that stuck with me because in my mind I can always go above and beyond in my craft to become even more better than I was yesterday. Fast forward I think 2 years I had a shoot with the same person for her birthday after that shoot she told me “ these photos are way better than when I started and that she was just being nice because she knows I just started and didn’t want to put me down.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I remember a few years ago I was going through some personal stuff which affected me mentally and emotionally. I couldn’t eat or sleep. l won’t go into too much detail but because of this stumbling block I wanted to drop everything and quit because it caused me a lot of pain. I then told myself God didn’t give you this idea just so you can stop especially since it was my first year as a photographer I lifted myself up and used time to build myself and my business. That never give up attitude was something that helped me in my first year as a photographer.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/sm_photography100?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Shutter-Movement-Photography-101629417918819/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-amponsah-823011156
Image Credits
Jonathan Amponsah or Shutter Movement Photography