We caught up with the brilliant and insightful DeMariah Newsome a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

DeMariah, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

To start, no matter where you are in your career, having a constant desire to keep learning will be key to your success. With that being said, I’m always learning new tips and tricks pertaining to photography. There’s a lot that I still don’t know, plus there are always new trends happening in the photography world. Everything I know, I learned by researching and asking questions. Honestly, my first go-to source when I started was, and still is, YouTube. YouTube has so much free information on just about everything so it’s a great place to start. I also learned by doing thorough searches on social media and Google via reading photography-related websites and blogs. Again, the internet has a great deal of free information that will get you to where you want to be in no time. In addition to much research, I also reach out to other photographers and ask questions. Some are secretive about their work, but many photographers are open and love to share what they know. Lastly, I’ve invested in my photography knowledge. Some photographers offer courses and classes where you can learn at your own pace, and some even offer in-person learning opportunities.

The most essential skill to photography is learning about your gear, lighting, and composition. These three elements work together to create great images.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I have always loved art, any type of art that allows one to be creative and expressive. Before venturing into photography, I was a graphic designer; well, I still am. I created a lot of things, such as custom t-shirts and gifts, logos, flyers, invitations, and more. As a graphic designer, clients would often send me low resolution images for a project that I was working on for them, which did not make the project look the best once completed. The client never saw an issue, but from a graphic designer’s standpoint, there is a big difference. From graphic designing, I decided to look into photography and try to incorporate both businesses. I explained to my mom my idea of combining design and photography, and she thought it was a good one. On Christmas of 2015, she gifted me with a Canon T5 DSLR kit, and that is when my photography journey began.

One day, I was asked to take family portraits for someone. After their photoshoot, honestly, I was not happy with the pictures AT ALL. This prompted me to learn more about the art of photography, and how I could improve my work. Let’s be real, we all thought photography was simple, just push a button and there you have a great photo; but I’ve learned it’s so much more than that! So, I began researching and studying everything about photography, and then I would go out and practice what I learned. Despite many sleepless nights, I could see my work improving, which encouraged me to keep going! After finding my style and niche, I became comfortable enough to launch “DeMariah Newsome Photography.”

DeMariah Newsome Photography is based in the South Georgia area, and specializes in, but is not limited to, creative, glamour, family, maternity, and child portraiture. I pride myself on making my clients feel comfortable and confident in front of the camera. Once a client looks and feels their best, that’s when their confidence boosts and they find their inner-model. What sets me apart from other photographers is ME! I believe that my passion, persistence, and professionalism catch the attention of potential clients. I would say that I am most known for my retouching & editing skills; that’s what my work gets complimented on the most. If you follow me on social-media, you’ll likely see speed-editing videos, and before and after images of my work. I receive a lot of positive feedback from my followers on this, and they regularly ask for more posts like those.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Supporting artists, creatives, and other small business owners can be done in many ways. Financially, you can support them by purchasing their art or patronizing their business. Although financial support is important, if you can’t support them monetarily, you can show support in other ways. One way is to spread the word and refer them to people who may be interested in utilizing them. Word of mouth is the best form of advertising, since we tend to believe our family and friends more than we believe ads. In addition, if you’ve utilized a business before, write a review. Sharing your experience about a business could be the deciding factor for someone looking to do business with them for the first time.

Another way you can show support is to engage with them on social media. Social media is an extremely important tool for artists and creatives these days. For most, this is the primary way for their work to be seen by others. On social media you can like, comment, and share their posts. If you’ve used their business, make a post that shows off their product or service and tag them. Doing these things helps the artist get seen by a new audience and helps spread the word about them. Remember, it’s, FREE 😉

Lastly, you can send them a positive, motivational message. Artists and creatives work hard and sometimes it can seem like our work goes unnoticed. If you really like an artist’s work/content, feel free to share that with them. A simple “Hey! I love your work! Keep it up!” will make their day, put a smile on their face and give them the motivation to keep on going.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

As a portrait photographer, seeing and hearing the excitement from my clients throughout the process is an incredible feeling. One of the most rewarding aspects is bringing my clients’ visions to life and knowing that I’m providing them with lifelong memories. Many people forget or don’t realize how important images are until they are all they have left. Nothing is more satisfying than being able to capture those precious moments during a family session or delivering a client with a one-of-a-kind, creative portrait of themselves that they’ll cherish forever.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.dnewsomephotography.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/dnewsomephotography
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/dnewsomephotography

Image Credits
DeMariah Newsome Photography