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

Sandra, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

I come to photography from the point of view of a song writer. So there’s a direct link between what I feel, the soundtrack it evokes in my mind and what I aim to show in my photos. I am not sure this is an industry standard, and I hope I didn’t just lose you there… but it’s definitely my angle.

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

I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where I graduated from high school and studied music. At the age of 17 I moved with my family to the continental United States. I studied Business in college but always continued my musical pursuits and eventually moved to Miami where I was more involved in that artistic environment. I was always interested photography or film, as my dad was an enthusiast photographer and I suppose, he inspired that in me. It wasn’t until I decided not to be a singing act, and instead to support other artists in their endeavors that I picked up the camera professionally – this time to promote other artists talents. It felt like a natural, swift, and seamless transition.

After over a decade of photography, where I’ve felt considerably comfortable tackling all kinds of subject matter and taking on intimidating challenges, I feel that my heart is still with the creative community. I would say my niche is Commercial Photography for Industrious and Creative Professionals. Wether you’re an artist, a brand with a fresh campaign, a business owner making your own path, an activist for the greater good or just someone with something innovative to share with the world, I’m totally into photographing your product, your event, performance or story. My heart is with that.

I have been shy about my musical talents and I know that is something that should never happen, I’m working on that… but with photography its just different. I am proud of the drive that this passion gives me, it takes the shyness away from my personality. I am not afraid to go after goals that seem unattainable, therefore I feel a forward momentum, a progression of not only the product I put out but of clarity of mind and of purpose.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I think, like for most of us, the advent of Covid brought many challenges. On March 2020 I was on an upward point in my career, traveling for clientele from Miami, New York and las Vegas. All that came to a screeching halt as concerts and events where cancelled mercilessly and everyone isolated. I immediately thought of how much I would miss all the places and people that make St. Petersburg an amazing place to live. After three weeks of isolation, I sent out emails to local business owners, medical staff, volunteer mask seamstresses and families making it work during our quarantine. I set up days and times so I could take their portraits at a distance and thus created a photo essay called “ I miss us St. Pete”. Everyone photographed, added a paragraph about their experience and what they wanted to share with their community. “I Miss Us St. Pete” was picked up and printed in various magazines, mentioned in local and national blogs and in the local channel news. This connected me with even more amazing people, LOCAL people and this is where my business is now flourishing. I am very grateful.

Link to that photo essay: https://www.sandrasonik.com/i-miss-us-photo-essay

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Current clients are always the best source of new clients, for me. This is the reason I try to do the best work I can, the reason I do my best to follow up and send messages to check in from time to time. I am so grateful and so interested in my clients journeys. I am invested in the stories that are shared with me through the photography process; so I can’t help but to become a cheerleader through this connection. The trust that a client places in my work humbles me and only makes me wants to become better.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sandrasonik.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandrasonik_photography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sandrasonikcreative
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandrasonik/
• Twitter: @Sandrasonik

Image Credits
All images by Sandra Döhnert