We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful John Mansfield. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with John below.
John, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with talking about how you serve the underserved, because in our view this is one of the most important things the small business community does for society – by serving those who the giant corporations ignore, small business helps create a more inclusive and just world for all of us.
As a photographer I see such value in having photographs of our loved ones, of our family. And there are a lot of families who cannot afford to hire a professional photographer to capture those smiles and personalities of their family. In 2014 I began to host a free event that I called “Community Photo Day” where anyone from the community could attend and get a few quick professional photos taken of their family. Little did I know the impact it would have.
Many parents would tear up afterward and tell me that in the 10+ years of being a family they had never had a professional photo taken and that it meant the world to them to have these now.
We’ll be hosting the 10th Annual Community Photo Day this fall and now it has grown to multiple photographers joining me to serve 100s of local families who wouldn’t have these photos otherwise.
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.
Photography and art have always been important to me, even as a child with a little film camera. Now whether I’m photographing a couple at their wedding, or a family in their home, or a business owner thriving in their craft, I aim to create a space where people’s true personalities and emotions can shine and be seen in the photos I take.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
As a wedding photographer in 2020 I had to pivot quickly once everyone started postponing their weddings, because that also postponed my paychecks. I learned how to create videos and how to live stream small intimate weddings for guests who were not able to attend in person. This video skill has led to a new avenue of business through working with commercial and entrepreneur clients to showcase their businesses through video.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
I had to unlearn that my photography was about me. Yes, I’m clicking the shutter. Yes, I’m composing my image and trying to bring an artistic look at the moments. But it’s not about me, it’s about my clients. When I stopped focusing on what I was doing to capture the photo in a way that others might deem award winning or impressive, I was able to slow down and see the moments for what they were. And in seeing them in the true form, I was able to use my artistic skills to capture them the best way they deserved to be captured.
Contact Info:
- Website: allheartphoto.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/allheartphoto
- Facebook: facebook.com/allheartphotography
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmansfield42/
- Youtube: youtube.com/wisdominthetangents
- Other: I teach photographers and creatives business lessons in the Wisdom in the Tangents Podcast. podcast.allheartphoto.com
Image Credits
My bio photo was taken by Sierra Day Photography All others were taken by myself