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

Evan, appreciate you joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

I think one of the greatest risks I’ve ever made was actually starting my photography business. I’m not going to lie – it was TERRIFYING to think about starting my own business at 20 years old. I was a sophomore in college, and didn’t know the first thing about starting a business. What I didn’t know at the time was that it was a leap that paid off in later years. I personally didn’t think my photography business would survive, especially being located in NE Indiana and having a style that was extremely unique. I taught myself how to operate my business, from learning from veteran photographers, to doing extensive research, to learning about tax laws for business and how to set up legal agreements with clients and what not. It was a headache, but learning all of those things prepared me for the present. Looking back, I would repeat the process all over again, especially with what I know now.

Evan, 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?

My name is Evan, and I’m the founder and owner of Planet Nave Photography. I’m based out of Fort Wayne, Indiana, but also available anywhere in the world to document all lovers. I’m currently looking to build clientele in SoCal and the Pacific Northwest. I’d love to move my base to either Seattle or San Diego at some point!

I specialize in couples and portrait photography, and I do a few weddings/elopements per year. I pivoted more into couples photography since 2024, and I fell in love with capturing… love. Don’t worry, I still do creative editorials… those are my first loves, so I’ll never abandon them. I love making my work look like something out of an Indie drama flick. I love cinematic storytelling, so I incorporate it into my projects, but I love to create my own stories and scenes with models.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Yes, I’ve had to pivot. I first started out doing internships and marketing and advertising before I moved into the news sector. The longer I worked in news, it became extremely draining to my mental health and overall well-being. When my physical health took a toll around October 2023 I knew it was time for me to make a change in my career. When I finally left the new station, I was relatively uncertain as to what I wanted to do afterwards that’s when I decided to go full throttle into my photography business and honestly… It was probably one of the best moves I could’ve ever made. I’m not going to lie, though the pivot was actually terrifying for me at first. It was terrifying more so because it was a fear of the unknown. I didn’t know what to expect going into photography full-time so that was scary to think about. I was scared that I wasn’t going to make connections, secure bookings, and eventually have to close down. The funniest yet most heartwarming part of this all was that I randomly received at least 1 to 2 bookings per month when I first started out full-time in 2024. I remember telling my best friend, Cheyenne, about this and she said that it was the universe’s way of providing for me and looking back on it she couldn’t have been more correct. Despite the hardships of my first full-time year in business, I felt protected and provided for by the universe and I’m grateful. So I always say to up-and-coming photographers that are just starting out in their businesses to give it time and to invest in themselves in their business and it’ll work out for them. It may sound terrifying to take that leap of faith, but it’s worth it if you put the work in.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I love this question. I am always actively trying to build my community and my social media presence. I have connected with hundreds of other photographers, videographers and content creators in several states. I actually did not have much of a strategy when I went full throttle into doing my social media campaigns and planning and what not I just went and did what I knew how to do best – be myself I thought at the time that showing not just other photographers, but also prospective clientele who I am as a person on my social media page then they would see who they’re booking with instead of just putting on a façade for the sake of business. They’re seeing the real me on social media and they will know that that is the person that they’re going to meet in real life so I blend so many different factors into my social media page – humor, sarcasm, you know stuff that I would typically do on my personal page. I also want perspective clients to know that I am an affirming photographer for both LGBTQ+, plus-sized, and people of color. As a black man in the creative industry, there aren’t many safe creative spaces for myself or the people I listed, so I strive to ensure people that once they follow my page, no hatred or bigotry is tolerated by me and my brand.

Image Credits

Evan Harris – Planet Nave Photography