We were lucky to catch up with Shanita Dixon recently and have shared our conversation below.

Shanita, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

One of the most meaningful projects in my career was volunteering to present my photo studio space with a middle school class online. They had questions about the industry and were curious about what photography is like on a professional level.
I’m a little extra, so I went above the requirements. I reached out to a local MUA and asked her to model for me as I showed them my setup and how I transformed a bonus room in the home I was renting into a dedicated workspace.

I had my lights set up, showed them the importance of music, changes in lighting, and posing in a photo session, and after the presentation was complete, some of the students were able to ask questions on the spot. It wasn’t part of the initial agreement, but I decided to finish and edit the session and share the gallery with the class so they can see how a full session typically goes, and the magic that we created.

To my surprise, about a week later, the teacher emailed me some of the feedback that the students gave and it brought tears to my eyes to see that it’d motivated so many young minds to pursue their dreams and talents. For them to see the process and how fun it is — it made my craft worth so much more.

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

I’m Shanita (lovingly known as Nitadee), and I’m a photographer and Level 2 Reiki energy healer. I’ve always been interested in art. Being on my high school’s Yearbook staff piqued my curiosity in using a professional camera. I loved the camera so much, I chose it as my second major in college, right after Graphic Design. It’s been my path for at least 13 years now.

My art led me into spirituality as I learned that becoming a business owner and having the tenacity to continue on that path required some inner work. I nearly lost my life coming home from a photoshoot in 2018 and knew that I was given a second chance for a reason. I immediately wanted to become a better person and more spiritually aligned. I met my Reiki teacher during a styled photoshoot a few years back and ended up becoming great friends. Fast forward to 2020 — the world needed healing. I told her that I was ready to invest and received my Reiki attunements later that year.

Since then, my world[s] have married together in such unprecedented ways. I learned that I not only had the ability to make others see the beauty in themselves, but assist them with healing and becoming the most beautiful versions of themselves. It’s been so great to see folks confident in who they truly are in the images we capture, and for them to come back to me post-Reiki session to say that they’ve been reflecting and have noticed positive shifts in their lives.

Making a difference — that’s what it’s all about for me. I truly enjoy just being a person who helps others to keep being great.

What do you find most rewarding about being creative?

What’s so cool about being an artist is that you can take raw material, a concept, or even nothing at all… and make something so significant. You’re there with a blank canvas, or even just a theme… and you transform it into something legendary. It’s dope when a client gives you creative freedom. They show up looking amazing and next thing you know, it’s your favorite session ever. It’s the collaboration, the feedback, and the willingness to adjust that creates some of the dopest images. I’ve produced some of my best work by staying open-minded.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Man, do I have STORIES?!! I remember booking a new branding session once and trusting a space — and it all went left. It was a brand new client who’d never done a session before, and I’d been in talks with the studio owner previously. I’d built a rapport with them through another connection, so they extended a deep discount to me for the space [but nothing was in writing, first mistake]. So it’s about two weeks before the session. I tried emailing, calling, texting, everything. I didn’t book the slot online because they never got back to me with the code, and money was tight at the time. I’d left a paper trail so I trusted that they’d be there and embarrassed myself in front of that new client when we pulled up. I’m banging on doors, getting voicemails, everything.

My client and I look at each other and I’m sweating from the heat and the pressure. Thankfully, some of my equipment is portable and stays in the trunk, so I pulled a folding table out and a white sheet, used my portable white backdrop, and used my flashes to do the session right there in the cul-de-sac. We found a spot in the shade and I went to WORK, okay?!!! Looking at those images, you could never tell that it was done outside. The quality was still there in spite of the circumstances. The client ended up booking someone else after, which I couldn’t be mad at [booked another studio directly from the owner], but I’m very proud of how quickly I was able to pivot.

Now I use my own space — and if I don’t, I make sure I get ALL of the agreements in writing. It’s been smooth ever since.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.shanitadixon.com
• Instagram: nitadee
• Facebook: facebook.com/ShanitaDixonPhotography