We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Samantha Knott. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Samantha below.

Samantha, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

Throughout my lifetime, I’ve experienced an immense amount of grief, whether that be a family member that passed, losing a friend, a loss of innocence, or an end to something important in my life. Grief is never easy to cope with. Something that always helped me during these hard times was looking back at photos of those times, to appreciate all the good that came from it and all that I learned from it, instead of focusing on the loss. I became a very sentimental person and found myself capturing moments that meant a lot to me, so that I can hold onto it and cherish it forever. I want others to have that experience. My goal and mission for my photography business is to capture life’s greatest moments and freeze them in time. The life God gives us is such a blessing, and through my work I hope that I honor Him by authentically capturing sweet milestones and memories for others.

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

Hi! I’m Sam! I am 20 years old and I’m the oldest of 4 girls. I’m from Colorado Springs, but my work is based in the Springs, Phoenix, and Los Angeles. I just received my Bachelor of Arts in digital film production with a minor in Graphic Design. I’ve always had an artistic eye, so over the years I eventually got into taking photos! About 4 and a half years ago, I started running my own photography business (at the age of 15/16) and now it’s my full time job. I love it because it doesn’t feel like a job. I provide services for seniors, grads, models, couples, engagements, weddings, families, maternities, and music artists. I think what sets me apart is my ability to build strong relationships with my clients, so that it feels more important than just doing my “job.” My craft is also very versatile, so each client will receive photos that are special and unique to them. I also find it important to ethically charge my clients, so my prices are affordable and I have package options that fit for all target audiences. I am most proud of having a natural eye for art and beauty, giving me the fundamental skills for film and photography from such a young age and being able to start my own business at the age of 15. My goal is for my clients to see the world a little differently and to really cherish all the sweet moments life has. I love capturing peoples greatest moments and freezing them in time so that they can be cherished forever.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

Photography started off as a hobby for me. I would bring my camera to all my vacations, I’d do photoshoots with my sister and friends during quarantine, and eventually started bringing it to school events like football games or school dances. I continued to build up a reputation as “the photographer girl” and did a lot of free work/photo sessions for people in my community. That’s truly how I built my network early on. I eventually decided that I can start charging people for my work, and my business quickly took off from there. It became a really good side hustle while I served food at top golf. I eventually quit my job at top golf and did part time photography while I applied to new jobs. I eventually got a job as a barista at Dutch Bros, but my business continued to grow more and more. I took a step back from working when I went off to college. Leading up to summer break, I applied to come back to Dutch Bros, but felt a strong pull towards being a full time photographer. I was torn, because I loved my job as a barista and knew that if I left, I would never come back. I prayed to God to ask him to give me direction with my two job opportunities. The next thing you know, the managers at Dutch declined my application, which was a clear sign for me to fully jump into my full time position as a photographer. I was so nervous that I wouldn’t be able to make a living off just taking photos, but the Lord truly provided for me and I got fully booked out for the entire summer within the first two weeks of May. I was working 50-60 hours a week, and I did 108 photoshoots in a year. One thing that my busy year of photoshoots taught me was that I loved photography too much for it to be my full time job. It started to become less of a hobby and more of just mundane work. I am thankful for my education at Grand Canyon University, where I plan to use my bachelors degree in film to pursue freelance film and videography. I am very passionate about making films as my full time career. My dream position is to become a Director of Photography / Cinematographer for movies, music videos, tv shows, commercials, weddings, live production etc., while still keeping photography as a side hustle. I plan to use the skills I gained when getting a minor in graphic design to help with the marketing and advertising side of my photography business.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I’ve never had to pay a single penny on advertising for my business; and for the first 3 years of running my business, I didn’t even have a website. Why? Because I had such a strong presence on social media. My photography business would not be where it’s at today without the use of Instagram. My advice for those who are starting off is to not be afraid to post. Have a strong portfolio that truly showcases your work. Be authentic — personable Instagram reels and Instagram stories not only shows off the great work that you do, but it highlights your personality and character. Two people can have an amazing portfolio; but the one who has relatable, personal, and authentic posts on top of just a great portfolio will be more likely to gain more of an audience / clientele. Another tip/trick is to narrow down my target audience. Let’s say I’m now booking Class of 2026 seniors. I like to look for profiles that say “class of 2026” in people’s Insta bios and I will follow them. I don’t even need to reach out. I don’t try to come off as needy. I let the people come to me if they want. I also heavily rely on word of mouth and having clients tag me if they post any of my photos on Instagram.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.samanthaknottphotography.com/
• Instagram: samanthaknottcreative and/or samanthaknottphotography
• Youtube: samanthaknottcreative
• Other: Portfolio: samanthaknott.com

Image Credits

Samantha Knott