We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jef’free Atchison a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jef’free thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Success takes selfishness! You have to put yourself and your goals before your own needs and wants. It takes an insane amount of discipline and will to push day after day. Even when you don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel you still have to push and give it 1000% EVERYDAY!!! You have to be your own motivation… You have to be your own support system… EVERYTHING rests on you. You gotta want it!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is, Jef’free! I worked at Chrysler for 12yrs and decided to take that leap of faith and quit to start my own photography business. In 2021 I started my own business, “Freezing Time Photography!”

I always had a gift at taking photos with phones and became intrigued with cameras when I was modeling years ago.

I began to eat, sleep and breathe Photography! It was all I cared about. Getting shots and thinking of concepts others weren’t thinking of.

There’s a lot of photographers today and the only way to get the most business is to stand out from all others. It has to be something special about your photos that set you aside from everyone else.

I’ve had my own solo gallery, I’ve been featured in 5 other galleries and I also have some of my work hanging in, “Hotel Indigo” downtown Detroit, but of everything my proudest moment is quitting Chrysler and going for what I truly believed in… My passion, “Photography!” @Freezing__Time__

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

1 thing I had to unlearn is that you can’t sit and wait for, “The Right Time!” The right time will NEVER come. You have to make NOW your right time. It’s never gonna be some magical moment when the stars align and you get a great sensation of NOW!!! It doesn’t happen like that and it won’t. If you keep waiting for the right time you’ll never do it…

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

network, Network.. NETWORK!!! The thing about photography is you have to get out there and get it. Business isn’t just gonna come to you because you have social media, business cards and a website. This is where so many people go wrong and get discouraged because they think all this business is just going to appear and out doesn’t. You gotta get out there and talk to people, network, put yourself out there, show your confidence. Make people feel why they should choose you for “any of their photo needs.” Put in the effort!

Contact Info:

• Website: FreezingTimePhotography.com
• Instagram: @Freezing__Time__
• Facebook: Jef’free Photo’s