We recently connected with Sharon Thompson and have shared our conversation below.

Sharon, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

My mission is to preserve your memories through documented images that will last for a lifetime and will tell not just any story, but your story.

Sharon, 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?

As long as I can remember I have always had a love for cameras. I can recall how fascinated I was with them when my dad purchased the Canon AE-1 when my brother was born in 1981. My father would often pose my brother and me in front of the camera and click away. While I loved having my picture taken, I was equally intrigued by how to work the camera. How did he load the film, know what settings to use, and what lens to select? The questions just went on and on in my young mind. That was my very first experience with an SLR and boy did I love it.

As I grew from preteen to a young adult, I started purchasing my own cameras. I would take pictures on field trips, last day of school at the end of the school year, and on outings with my friends. The cameras were all point-and-shoot but as technology started changing, so did the sophistication of the camera. Eventually came digital cameras which were definitely the game changer as I was able to upload my pictures immediately and no longer had to send them off for processing.

In 2010 I went to a close family friend’s bridal shower and had my new DSLR in tow. I started snapping away and taking photos to capture all the details and emotions of the day. Later that year I also attended her destination wedding and also captured many pictures of the ceremony and reception. From that time on I decided that I enjoyed being able to encapsulate the emotions and details of an event or a period in time through pictures. It’s my way of giving back.

For my clients, I am able to preserve memories that tell a story, their story. They can look back to, to recall moments in time that they can never get back to again as well as share their story with others. Sometimes people in the photos are no longer with us but they can still look at that picture and recall a time when they were.

I shoot mainly portraits, maternity, newborns, weddings, engagements, parties, and boudoir sessions.

I am most proud of the relationships I have been able to foster with my clients to earn repeat business from them as well their extended families and their friends.

With every photoshoot I take the time to get to know my client, their vision and how we can work together to accomplish this mission.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy for growing my clientele is through the use of networking with other photographers. Through meetups I am able to collaborate with other photographers and potiental clients and post those engagements on social media. Social media provides a platform to post the different styles of shoots I offer as well as allows me to provide potential clients with an instant portfolio of my work.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Client satisfaction is the most rewarding aspect of being an artist. It’s the warm feeling you get when you are told that you have met and in some cases exceeded the client’s expectations. You have provided them with documentation of their story, their emotions, their memories that will last a lifetime.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.photobyshai.com
• Instagram: @_photobyshai
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090588810241&mibextid=LQQJ4dv

Image Credits
The picture of me was taken by Derrel Todd (IG: @dtodd)