THE PHOTOGRAPHER

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Lifestyle, Event & Detailed Photographer that is located in Columbia, South Carolina.

When running any business, most people love to know what exactly does a person who has time to do it all day looks like, and it's simple: I put things in my schedule that is top priority, and sometimes that includes rest, vacation, and recharge.

How did I get here:

Back in 2018, after graduating from college, I struggle tremendously with depression. I started a blog that gave me a sense of freedom to share my thoughts and live in my truth as a Christian. It truly was not easy to share all of that, but I did it to ultimately build a community that understood what I was feeling. I was taking my own images for my blog, and my Instagram, which led to me taking images on my iPhone X for my sister as well for detailed photography. I learn quickly at the end of 2019 that I love capturing images, and then using visual to tell a story for someone in small clips through their Instagram stories. December 2019, my significant other (my now husband) invested in my first camera for me, and here I am, over three years later, enjoying all that life has to offer when meeting some of the most amazing people behind the camera.

How am I doing now:

In three easy words -- I'm making it. Some days are much harder than others. You write out a plan, you push to accomplish it, and move forward. For the year 2021, I doubled my income from 2020. I worked twice as hard, and I allowed myself to understand the camera, the editing, and now it's time to jump back into the social media/marketing. I've worked with over 20+ clients this year, all who was mostly repeated clients. I am so thankful for their underlying love, and support in growing my business. Even though word of mouth has built my business in more ways than I could ever imagine, it's time to step up my marketing game. My plan for 2022 was to push on socials more to connect and grab bookings, but a moment of not being motivated kicked in, and I lost my focus for photography. As I have recently got married in January 2023, I made the decision of taking a few months off to both prepare for my wedding day and to love on my husband, and enjoy my marriage after. March 2023, I have been back in the full swing of things, with a new mindset, and staying grounded in what I want to do, and how my business will run. During this year, 2023, please be patient with me as we use a new management system for contracts and invoices, a booking website, and change templates on how we charge.

One thing for sure, I'm always looking for a way to learn something new, and invest in myself being a student before anything else. Of course, if I have some knowledge to share from my own personal experience, I won't mind sharing at all.

In my first year of photography, I have managed to have my work featured in both Metro Vieve Magazine + VoyageATL. Amazing right? Some of the best moments as a photographer. In my second year of photography, I've doubled my income, work with more clients, and creating a craft for myself that works. It's always about making sure that my clients can use the images that I captured and tell their stories in some form. I've also been featured in other magazines this year, and I even did my own interview with South Carolina Voyager, and it felt good to share all the gems with you all. Here's the link for you to check it out: https://southcarolinavoyager.com/interview/conversations-with-shanavia-bates/

As I have been moving forward in my journey, I have been looking to add new services to my website that it is not specifically photography related. So please stay tuned for the updated website, and services that will be offered. I'm looking to work with more amazing people in the future, and I pray that you look at my work and chose me as your photographer to celebrate some of your biggest milestones/accomplishments. Please know, the experience you have with me is like no other. I communicate consistently with you to ensure the experience you have is unforgettable.

To start working together as soon as possible, please click below.

Thank you,

Shanavia B. Riley, Owner of SB Photography