We were lucky to catch up with SHANEETRA GRAHAM recently and have shared our conversation below.
SHANEETRA, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?
My company name was derived from my experience as a child, I would always recite things before I was able to read. Remembering letters or things I saw throughout the day, I would come home and write down what I saw that day, down to the smallest detail exactly how I saw them. After a bit of reflection, I wanted to incorporate my photographic memory into my business. This is when Photogenic Mindz Photography was born.
SHANEETRA, 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?
Hi there! My name is Shaneetra Graham…I’m a Tampa based photographer and the owner and operator of Photogenic Mindz Photography LLC. With my love of nature and traveling, I
specialize in portrait, lifestyle, and travel photography. This allows me to connect and meet new
people, while doing something I truly enjoy. I’m passionate about capturing unique moments and
creating beautiful memories. With 7 years of experience in the industry, I use my creativity to
deliver stunning images clients are sure to love. With the pride taken in my work I strive to
produce the highest quality imagines. Going above and beyond to ensure that my clients are
comfortable is instrumental for each session booked. No matter if my client is introverted,
extroverted, professional, novice, or rarely in front of the camera, all measures are taken make
sure my clients have a great experience reflecting their vision, creating memories to last a
lifetime.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
One of the most rewarding aspects of being a creative is not only seeing your vision come to life, but also seeing the reactions on your clients face when you show them previews of the pics you
have taken of them during the session. During a Christmas photo session, I took family portraits
of a client who had not had family portraits in years. I allowed the family to move around freely
and just be themselves without too much posing. Once I finished taking photos, I allowed them
to preview what I had captured and they were blown away. Seeing the excitement on their faces
made me feel good inside but also knowing that my client loved how I captured them lets me
know that I’m doing my job right!
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
When starting my business, I wish I was aware of the hands-on lighting and editing workshops offered by tenured and well-versed photographers. Starting out trying to teach yourself lighting
and understanding the mechanics of ratios for lighting whether indoor or outdoor proved to be a
challenge for me. Having a starting guide to equipment would have saved me from breaking the
bank on expensive gear starting out. Then with editing, the popular option is photoshop. Having
some awareness of crucial dos and donts when capturing the photo initially, would have made
my journey to learning the tool a bit easier. Photoshop can be overwhelming when you do not
have an understanding of the photo and tool aspects and how they work together. Using various
platforms to guide me through the photoshop 101 basics would have hugely impacted my editing
skills early on.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.photogenicmindz.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/photogenic_mindz/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/photogenicmindzphotography
Image Credits
All photos were taken by me: Shaneetra Graham