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

Shaina, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

When I was 18, my first job was at Walt Disney World. I spent around eight years there on and off. My most formative years as a young adult were spent around fellow cast members who became my closest friends, room mates, and even family. I like to credit a lot of my work ethic to the skills I learned while at the “most magical place on earth.”

I know everyone was impacted by the pandemic in 2020. Without disregarding anyone else’s experiences- let me paint a picture of what that felt like in Central Florida: ALL of the theme parks were closed for a historic amount of time with no end in sight. Tens of thousands of people were sitting in limbo, not knowing whether they had a job. The Florida Unemployment System was a battle every single day and you could physically feel the despair when you stepped out of your door (if you were even able to step out).

I was watching all of the people I had known and loved live in this state of crisis and I felt helpless. Then it got worse. The official calls of furlough and lay offs came. It is devastating to lose any job- but working at Walt Disney World really is different. People come from all over for the chance to “work for the mouse,” for the honor of wearing the name-tag, and for the opportunity to make a little magic. When those calls went out, no one had an opportunity to say goodbye or have a last day.

I saw an opportunity to provide some of these cast members with a bittersweet goodbye. Each role at Disney World is assigned a unique costume (uniform). I reached out first to the last group of people I had worked with. The “Fairy Godmother’s in Training.” These women were responsible for turning little kids into the royal character of their dreams! When you left this position, as a ceremonial goodbye all of your peers would surround you and cover you with “pixie dust.” It’s something we all looked forward too when it was time to go, and none of these women would have that special moment,

I told the ladies they could come over, and we would take photos in their costume and I would even throw in some pixie dust. That way they could put it on one last time before turning it in for the unforeseeable future. Many of them took me up on this offer, and a day or two later I shared the story on Facebook.

Soon the post took off. Eventually over 100K people saw and shared the post. I had messages from other cast members asking if they could also participate. There were messages from people that had experienced these cast members while on vacation and they were sharing their fond memories!

I held these sessions for free. Many people helped to donate extra “pixie dust,” so there was plenty to go around. After 3 months of these sessions a few days a week, over 250 cast members had participated.

Now, why was this meaningful to me? Well I finally felt like I was giving back to a hurting community. A community that I had essentially grown up in. I also became inspired by each of those individuals and their stories. So inspired, that I quit my part time job and decided after eight years of part time photography it was time to commit all of my time and energy into my business.

They say the first year in business can be the biggest challenge. Mine was definitely a learning curve. However it was wildly successful. Why? Because those 250 cast members that I had donated my time too came back. It felt like every other shoot I booked was because of those “free shoots for cast members.” Whether it was that person coming back for a paid shoot, or someone who had found my social media through the posts shared.

It’s cliche to say “what goes around, comes around.” But I promise you, I am living proof of that. That project, those cast members, all of that glitter- was beyond impactful to my personal and professional growth.

Shaina, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Shaina, I took my first and only photography class my senior year of high school. Even though I knew I loved taking photos then- I didn’t put any effort into my skills for a few more years.

When I started my first job at Walt Disney World in 2018, the “cool” thing to do was take photos of the parades and entertainment offerings. I thought “how hard can that be?” Well it’s harder than you think. I began to use each parade as a moment to practice new skills. I wanted to be better. I began teaching myself how to shoot in manual mode and better ways to understand natural light.

Eventually one day, someone asked if I knew how to take headshots. Again “how hard can that be???” Well…it’s not the same as a parade! So I had a new challenge to try and perfect. Down the line I started offering sessions for free or very little money. I just wanted practice and exposure. I practiced shooting all the time. I taught myself how to use Lightroom(..it took a while).

Now years later, I like to call myself a “Milestone Photographer.” If you have something in your life that you would like captured – then I want to capture it. I specialize in bright, true to color portraits. I offer everything from Weddings, newborns, graduations, social media portraits and more.

I’ve dedicated a huge part of my business to making sure my clients feel comfortable and leave more confident than they showed up. I want you to have a good time. I want you to be excited to see the outcome. I stay transparent, I walk and talk you through your session.

I’d say the thing I am most proud of after all of this time has to be a tie between just how far I have come from that little 18 year old to this published, self taught, successful 28 year old. And the clients that have stuck with me since the beginning. I have watched them grow, get married, excel in their careers, have kids, etc. It is really an honor to have a front row seat to these people’s lives.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being a photographer for me is just how personal the art I create is. People trust me with some of the biggest moments of their life and I get to capture those moments so they can live on eternally. The future generations will be able to look back on those photos and see that memory frozen in time. It’s surreal to think about. I turn my client’s life in to art-art they can hang up, use as a digital wall paper, send to their friends or just keep as a memory.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

Social Media. Social Media. Social Media.

Word of mouth is still a really great resource as a small business owner. But word of mouth is essentially the same as social media now a days. I make an effort to show my face in my Instagram stories a few days a week. I want my clients to feel like I am talking directly to them. People LOVE having that sort of “inside” look.

Sometimes I don’t see my clients for months, or even years at a time. But when they follow along on my shoots, or even my daily life, they can still feel a connection to the person that took their photos.

It also creates a place for me to watch them go through life as well! I get to celebrate their milestones with them too. You know that scene in ” The Princess Diaries 2,” when Princess Mia has to go greet all the other royal people and has to say something personal to them to show that she has paid attention and taken a special interest? THAT. That is important. And rather than have a royal servant or walk around with index cards, we have social media.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.smophotographyllc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smophotographyllc/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShainaMOphoto

Image Credits
SMO Photography LLC