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

Samantha, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

It is all too easy for us to get comfortable in what we do. Put the light over there, stand here, look this way, in all the same locations I have shot over and over again. That’s being comfortable. But how do you grow as an artist if you don’t take risk and put yourself in uncomfortable scenarios to grow and better yourself? As a photographer we have to ensure we are continuously inspired. For me, I enjoy capturing families “in the moment”. I didn’t really want all the posing, look at me and smile type of photos. I wanted the real and raw moments. Even today, I am taking a risk by expanding my niche in birth photography! I am excited to see where this new journey may lead.

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

Hi guys! I’m Samantha with Samantha Ayers Lifestyle. Like most photographers, I am the one behind the camera, but I do tend to jump on the other side for family pictures every year! I was born and raised in a small town in Alabama and after high school I moved off to college. A year into college I dropped everything and moved to Alaska to marry my husband. Talk about a chase!! 10 years later, we now have three beautiful little girls who rule our world.

For me, spending days with my family at the pool, lake, or just somewhere together is my favorite kind of day. I enjoy hiking, fishing, camping, and anything that involves the outdoors! I am always down for a cold craft beer and enjoy exploring all the breweries as we travel across the US. With my husband in the military, traveling every few years is quite common. Although it can be hard, especially since we have children now, I am thankful for the opportunity of being able to travel while also documenting our lives throughout different places. Honestly, that has been my reason as to why I picked up my camera in the first place. I live for those small moments of capturing our girls in the valleys of Colorado, on the farm land throughout Southern Georgia, and the rolling hills in the Ozarks. These are the moments I have hanging on my walls.

As for capturing my favorite kind of storytelling, I adore big families. Having three girls myself, chaos is something I am used to and love finding the little moments siblings share with one another during a session. The best part about my job is being able to connect with such a diverse population every session and see the love each family has for one another.

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

To me, being an artist is doing and creating things that make you happy. Being in the photography world, there are so many talented, artistic photographers that showcase their work in so many different ways. Being a photographer allows us to express ourselves freely through our photographs and show the world our view through the images we create. However, the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is getting that positive feedback from clients or others in general about the beautiful work I create. There is no better feeling!

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social media can have it pros and cons when trying to build your audience for your business. At first, I had to learn things through other photographers on what to do, what to tag, when to post etc. to help gain an audience. It is all a learning experience, but the only downfall to social media is that it is constantly changing its algorithm. This can be helpful if you stay on top of the changes or if you aren’t familiar with the change, it could hurt you trying to reach your intended audience. For me, I have realized that it is not as important to get those high numbers or likes and to post what makes me happy and content.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://samanthaayerslifestyle.mypixieset.com/
• Instagram: @SamanthaAyersLifestyle
• Facebook: Samantha Ayers Lifestyle