We were lucky to catch up with Joseph Rivers recently and have shared our conversation below.

Joseph, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
One of my favorite projects was a friend of mine’s wedding I photographed. This one held more weight because of the circumstances. She and her fiancee were excited because the wedding was a few weeks around the corner. She was very artistic and was buttoning up the last touches on all the decorations she created. Then there was an apartment fire. All within a few hours, they lost everything: the wedding decor, the dress, the memories were all gone. Their perseverance to continue to have this celebration despite this fire was inspiring. I had an opportunity to help capture their special moment and help fill their new home with beautiful memories. My contribution was gifting a beautiful wedding album to them. The look of joy on their faces as they flipped through it was priceless.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I have enjoyed partaking in the fine arts ever since I was a child. My father played saxophone and my mom picked up piano while she was pregnant with me. I eventually learned to play piano, saxophone, and guitar as I progressed through school. I love music (that is why Sonata is a part of my studio name) and learned to appreciate all forms of the arts as I grew older. Photography was a big part of my life. My mom has tons of photos of me growing up as a child. She told me her obsession with taking photos of me spawned from her not having many photos of herself growing up. Having photos to look back at, of me growing up around friends and family, was such a normal occurrence to me. I could not imagine not having them around. Today, my passion for photography has brought me to the north DFW area, from where I serve the beautiful people of Plano, Mckinney, and neighboring cities around Dallas. I don’t just snap awesome photographs, I create unfading memories with style, expertise, and great enthusiasm.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
Where I have learned a lot of my technical information is CreativeLive. I wish I had run across them at the beginning of my journey, I would have been able to button up my craft quicker. Also, I wish I would have valued self-development sooner. I now have a business mentor outside of my photography business. They have shared with me several recourses on self-development along with opportunities to associate with them. That has excelled not only my business but my life tenfold.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
Networking. Personally, I used to think that social media and ads would drum up business for me. Don’t get me wrong, it does work, but my most loyal clients have come from networking. I am a part of the chamber and a networking group. When I share my story and what I do, it is not for them, it’s for their network. So when they come across someone within their circle that needs a photographer, they think of me. Clients that have come from there, have always been the most fun.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jaysonataphotography.com/
• Instagram: @jaysonata
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-rivers-19949326/

Image Credits
Joseph Rivers – Jay Sonata Photography