Today we’d like to introduce you to Evan Harris

Hi Evan, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?

I always say I believe I was born to be creative and showcase my artistic talent to the world. I believe I was called to be a photographer, capturing scenes and moments that you couldn’t describe in words. I picked up my first camera in 2017, and a few months later, I started my photography business as Navetography, which is currently Planet Nave Photography. In the past seven years, I have made connections with photographers nationwide, was published three times in magazines, and once in an art show, and have made lasting connections with clientele.

It wasn’t always easy though. I come from a working class family, and saved up money in college when I was a Resident Assistant and Communications Intern to buy my first camera, a Nikon D3500. It was my baby, my pride and joy, and I started asking others around campus to do free photo sessions in exchange for word-of-mouth advertising. It was a success, as I became known around campus for my photography. As time went on, I saved up $500 for my first ever photography mentorship day with a local photographer, and I learned better marketing techniques and how to capture the “perfect moment.” I was forever grateful for the experience, but little did I know at the time that it was merely a small step forward in my creative journey.

I originally started out using a similar editing technique to my mentor, using a warm, nostalgic, inviting palette, emphasizing oranges, warm greens and yellows in my work. At some point, I got bored of this style and wanted something different. I moved into a more “cinematic” style era, with dark colors, especially blues and blacks. I wanted my work to resemble stills from a drama film.

Then, in 2022, I moved into a style I quickly realized would become my permanent style: the dark, grainy film vibes. I want my work to look as if it’s taken on a 35mm Kodak, though it’s taken on a Digital SLR camera. With this style, I adhere to soft features, dreamy, hazy textures, with a filmy grain look and softer colors. This style was also widely popular among my social media community, and I favored this style, also. Now, I use this style and fuse it with editorial posing.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?

A main struggle I endured earlier in my dark film editorial journey is being in a part of the country where it is relatively smaller-minded and less open to new perspectives and concepts. This is especially the case when it comes to potential bookings, as my style in photography seems too “out there” and “unorthodox” for some. Traditionalism is highly valued in photography in my part of world, and sometimes, it can be discouraging. This unorthodox approach tends to scare people off sometimes, but my photographer friend, Bethanie, always tells me, “that means they aren’t meant to be,” and I’ve adopted this mindset, and it allowed me to remain true to who I am as a photographer.

Another struggle I faced was imposter syndrome. This was probably my most frustrating struggle throughout my career, especially in my early years. There were times in which I would compare myself to other artists, and would think my work wasn’t good enough. When I created a welcoming online community with other photographers, it allowed me to overcome the imposter mentality, and build a high self-esteem about the work I craft.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?

I am an editorial portrait, couples and wedding photographer based out of Fort Wayne, Indiana. I love to style my shoots as if we were capturing photos for a fashion magazine.

I also style all of my clients, whether they’re for fun sessions or paid sessions. Photography has allowed me to gain a better sense of what outfits and colors look good on clients, and how to properly dress them for when they’re in front of the camera.

I believe what sets me apart is I’ve taken a filmy style of photography and adapted it to suit weddings, editorial and other styles. It’s unique to Northeastern Indiana, and I’ll always be proud of adopting My current style to stand out from traditionally-styled photographers.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.

The word “risk” usually puts people in disarray, but it’s also a way to build confidence, character, and teach valuable life lessons. I think my biggest risk was making a business out of my photography. At the time, I felt like I was walking in blind when I first started to take bookings. I had no clue how to send an invoice, didn’t know to create contracts, how to answer my value to clients. I put myself out on a thin branch with very few resources and marketing skills to “market” my work. Sometimes, social media can be a curse, but in this case, it was a blessing. Aside from my mentorships, I came across many resources on Instagram and Twitter to help grow my business and how to manage projects and what not.

The question of whether or not I am a risk-taker, I consider myself a sometimes risk-taker. I say that because there are some that take risks every time, others do not, but I usually take risks if I think it’s extremely worth it. Otherwise, I don’t bother. I know, I don’t have much of a middle ground when it comes to doing things – either I do it, or don’t.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://PlanetNave.com
• Instagram: https://Instagram.com/planetnavephoto
• Facebook: https://Facebook.com/evanharris

Image Credits

Evan Harris – Planet Nave Photography