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

Alright, Samantha 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?

I think being successful looks like being well-rounded. I think to be successful in one area of your career, business, personal life, etc. you have to be fostering the other areas of life as well. Usually when my life is healthy and happy, my business has a foundation to expand and thrive. And when my business thrives, I lay a foundation for my life to continue to expand and improve. And vice versa. So to be successful, I believe that one has to be intentional about being a good person and living a good life, while also continuously sharpening their skills in their profession. Working toward health in all areas of life is the key to true success in my opinion.

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.

I’m a traveling wedding, brand, and portrait photographer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I love combining a refined, modern, it-girl style with an effortless, free-spirited, bohemian flair. Being that I am equally inspired by the serenity of nature, and the electricity of a city, my work is a union of those energies. Finding harmony between the refined, trendy vibe of the city and the carefree, relaxed spirit of the mountains; my aim is to bridge two worlds to create a unique and effortless look for my clients. With that, my top priority is making the experience for my clients professional and high quality, while being equally fun and laid back. I hope to provide a space where individuals can feel like their highest selves in the imagery and beyond. I have been the owner of Sammi Shea Photography for about 10 years now. It all started when I was a little girl and my parents got me a pink Barbie Polaroid camera. I went through roll after roll of film, and since then I’ve been hooked documenting everything around me and creating beauty out of that. I went to one semester of college before I decided to take the leap to drop out of school and do my creative work full time. It’s been a steady yet wild build of this business since then. I’ve now shot for hundreds of clients I love, including brands like Lululemon and David’s Bridal. I am so grateful to work with so many clients that align with my brand vision so deeply. I feel beyond blessed to get to create with so many people who are as beautiful on the inside as they are in front of the camera. One of the greatest honors of my life is being trusted to capture people’s deepest dreams and momentous moments, and I hope to always get to document lives this way.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is knowing that I get the honor of sharing glimpses of how I see the world, and how I wish to see the it. Life can be really hard and the world can get very dark at times, so knowing that I can create something that brings even the smallest spark of light to even just one person in the midst of it all is worth it every time.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

During the Covid pandemic I had to pivot in just about every area of life (didn’t we all in some way though?). I was going through a lot of transition in my personal life, all while the world stopped around me and limited my ability to book any work as a photographer. This was the hardest season of my life, but I learned that the only way out is through. Before that even when I had gone through difficult things, life still seemed to flow. This was the first time I had to pivot in such a large way. During this time I did such deep work on myself, which ultimately reflected on my business. I moved out of the small town I lived in my whole life in and moved to a big city to expand my life and business and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I am now experiencing the fruit of persevering and pivoting during that challenging time. Sometimes it’s hard to make big decisions and pivot on our own accord, so life comes in and forces you to do so. But I believe if we lean into it, what’s on the other side can be more aligned and beautiful than we can imagine.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sammisheaphotography.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sammisheaphotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sammisheaphotography