Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sophia Whitewater. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Sophia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later?

I really started doing photography professionally while taking photos for 3 Exits to Hattiesburg. While taking their photos, I would go up to other bands performing and offer to do their photography, and then that transitioned into portraits for them or for coworkers at my day job. I definitely think starting earlier would’ve helped me to be more established in the photography world and would have inevitably helped me continue pursuing it when I moved across the country. My work definitely stagnated for a bit and I only recently have begun pursuing photography again. I got my start in late 2019, so I wasn’t very established during COVID. I primarily take photos at concerts, which were scarce during the pandemic. Having an already established network could have given me great opportunities to work with bands while they were also trying to work around the pandemic.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I started being interested in photography as a child. I grew up in a home with a beautiful backyard full of a variety of trees and flowers that I would love photographing. I remember using my mom’s old flip phones to just take photos of whatever I could find. I always loved going to concerts, so my photography is primarily focused on live music. I do venture outside of that world and have done family portraits, senior photos, and weddings. I have also dabbled in filming/directing music videos. I am most proud of the way my photos highlight a person, and I like working to show someone the way other people see them.

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

The best places I’ve found for getting new clients are local shows. I’ve worked with numerous bands just by meeting them at shows, and beyond that I’ve made great friends through these local shows. Local music scenes are often representative of the community, and these communities are more tight knit than you’d expect. I’ve worked with bands such as 3 Exits to Hattiesburg in Connecticut and Heavy Honeys in Houston, Texas on many occasions. I’ve also been able to meet bands such as Convenient, Trash, a band out of Michigan. There’s so many great bands out there, and beyond taking photos to run my business, I am constantly exposed to new artists through local shows, which expands my musical palate.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I think working in a creative industry such as photography is often looked upon in a somewhat negative light: people in less creative industries tend to overlook creative industries, yet everyone consumes creative media on a daily basis. We look at photos in articles, we listen to music in the car, we watch TV and movies. I think these media are just as important as other businesses. Rather than viewing any career as lesser to another, we should value anyone that is on their own path.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophiawphoto/

Image Credits
The Jazmin Family Engagement shoot, shot and edited by Sophia Whitewater 3 Exits to Hattiesburg Band photos, Shot by Sophia Whitewater Edited by Sophia Whitewater and Benny Muniz Clyde the Beautiful Dog- shot and Edited by Sophia Whitewater Food/Beverage- Shot and edited by Sophia Whitewater