We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Samantha Vanderson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Samantha , appreciate you joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I spent a lot of time practicing. I brought my camera with me everywhere I went shooting just about anything I could! It really helped me learn more about the equipment I was using and I spend a lot of time experimenting with my camera and settings.

I definitely could have attended a few more workshops catered to photographers specifically however I really didn’t find basic photography classes at the local community college helpful for my entrepreneurial spirit! Most of how I learned t0 run my photography business came from a huge investment of time learning online and so much trial and error.

I believe knowing how your equipment works is just as important as the interactions you share with your clients and is an integral part of knowing how to capture that “money shot.” Getting people comfortable with you, helping them feel less nervous and best of all making sure they have FUN is how you’re going to get those images that feel like the most authentic representation of them!

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 have been running my photography business, specializing in weddings, for the past decade! It has been so interesting to see how the industry has changed over these past several years but one thing that I have always felt sets me apart from other photographers is the personal investment I try to give each of my clients. I truly care for these people! Whether I’m invited to photograph your wedding day or any other life milestone, it is one of the highest honors of my life. I GET to be there to preserve whatever fleeting season you’re in with my camera. What a delight for me!

I am most thankful for having a career that offers flexibility so I can make my time with my family a priority! Once we started a family of our own, the gravity of what I do for a living really sunk in. I am so grateful to freeze time for many people whatever they are celebrating. Photos are one of the most tangible ways to attain memories and I believe it serves as the ultimate gift to people who want to have their stories captured, preserving their legacy!

My main goal when photographing anything is to make you feel as though you were there! I would describe my work as timeless. I don’t over edit any of my images because I want you to look at my photos and feel as though you were there!

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

My husband and I originally ran this business together!! Photography is how we met! My business operated under a different name at the time until I had a big shift happen in the same year as becoming a new mom to my now oldest daughter, Emery.

My husband, Brad, had been asked to step in a serve in a ministry role as the youth pastor at our church at the time. We both felt like this is what God wanted for him and I had to decide if I would continue my photography career or end it. I eventually decided I would rebrand so it was completely my business and try it on my own! I was SO nervous and that transitional year presented its challenges. There were a lot of mistakes, tears, victories and things that I got to celebrate as a business owner that year! Samantha James Photography became what it is today because of what I experienced in that year. Brad was my #1 support through this time and I have other wedding industry professionals who became a constant source of encouragement for me.

After a while, I really began to feel like I could confidently pursue my dream of becoming an even better photographer so I could continue to serve and love people in the best way I knew how!

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

Social media has been an incredible tool for me! I love Instagram, ya’ll! I learned pretty early on before reels were a thing that people LOVED seeing my behind the scenes. They were so interested in learning what my process was and all that went into preserving what I did. My social media growth was organic and I found it to be a really incredible way for me to share my work regularly with an engaged audience.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.samanthajamesphoto.com
• Instagram: @samanthajamesphoto

Image Credits
Samantha James Photography