Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alex Otto. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Hey, I’m Alex! I am a Charleston, SC based portrait photographer, educator, and creative.

Here’s my story:

Middle school is not an envied time to be alive for anyone, but for me, it’s where my story in photography starts. Braces, acne, and my written-on converse starred in my first portrait sessions. I remember my friends would even send their photos to me to edit on the famous “Picnik” online editor back in the day. I continued my love for photos as I grew up and had a passion for capturing my friends with my simple point and shoot (and as time progressed, my phone) through high school.

As a young adult in 2015, I got my first semi-professional camera and brought it everywhere! There wasn’t a moment where I didn’t carry that Canon Rebel and I loved it. To learn how to shoot in manual, I’d snap portraits of my friends any chance I had and began shooting at my church in Atlanta for the student ministry every Wednesday. While I loved it, I was extremely busy outside of that and wasn’t able to give my photography the time it needed to excel… Until 2020! 2020 hit with so many unexpected losses, grievances, and pains – but it also had its sweet moments. For me, I got to build from the ground up my dream of photographing seniors, models, and brands – It provided me space to focus on my preferred style and better my skills for my clients. My once side hustle quickly outran me and became the focus of my time, energy, and love.

Fast-forwarding to 2022, I am now a full time photographer in Charleston, South Carolina and a girl-next-door educator for Creative Entrepreneurs. I now specifically focus on shooting creative portraits and mentoring beginner photographers.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Almost all of my client reviews (specifically many graduating seniors and newer models) say that I made them feel comfortable even though they were nervous or it was their first time taking professional photos. I take pride in that my clients feel like they can be themselves with me and in front of my lens. When a person feels comfortable, they show more genuine emotion in their photos and it frees them up to try poses that they might not usually. I have found that comfortability through social media, the booking process, and during the shoot has been my secret sauce to client care – which turns into clients sharing with their friends! I think constant encouragement to my clients puts them at ease and has allowed my reputation to grow naturally because they, of course, love their photos… but when they look at them, they also remember the way they felt.

I believe it’s also why beginner photographers are willing to learn from me. I am super honest with them that I don’t know everything and I am always still learning, but what I have to offer I will gladly share through mentorships and the podcast (and hopefully more avenues of education this year!). It makes someone feel comfortable when you are real with them! I truly believe when you are humble with your audience, yet confident in your skill, your reputation builds itself.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My mission is to create beauty and art through photos in such a way that it reveals the love of Jesus to every model, senior, or brand I work with… and to do it while on the hunt for the best tacos I can find.

I believe that God designed me as a creative. It took me a while to figure that out about myself – I always wanted to fit inside different boxes. It was freeing when I finally understood that I am a creative by nature and God wants to use that in His Kingdom. He wants to use me in the lives of my clients – I get to meet people from all walks of life in my job and it’s the coolest thing! My prayer for my business is that when I interact with each of my unique clients, they would see that despite what they have gone through, who they are, or how they have been hurt, the love of God is not far from them. I might not say that in every photo session with my words, but I want to show them with my actions. I will rejoice over how beautiful they are in their photos because that’s exactly how God sees them. I am not perfect in any way and I mess up often, but I hope that I can be a really small glimpse of what Jesus looks like to my clients. If I can do that, mission accomplished.

Contact Info:

• Website: alexblakephoto.com
• Instagram: @alexblakephotography
• TikTok: @alexblakephotography

Image Credits
All Photos Alex Blake Photography blue shirt model: Carly Sammons agent Click ATL straw hat model: Priscilla Eua Head overalls model: Nefan D Jeng (Creative Direction/Stylist: Marina Williams) space buns model: Alexa J Watts agent Niya Models (Creative direction/Stylist: Marina Williams) bathroom floor model: Madison Elise Powell bubble model: Valeria Jimenez agent Ursala Wiedmann flower field model: Kaylan Owen beach blue dress model: Ava Pitsch