Today we’d like to introduce you to Shayna Stewart.
Hi Shayna, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I feel like I have always had one foot in the door of the photography world. While my other foot has taken me on a journey through college, establishing a teaching career, multiple coaching positions, a marriage, and the pursuit of a Master’s degree, photography has always been a constant in my life. When I was in high school, a photographer in my hometown asked me to be her assistant. We began working together and I became the second shooter.
As my experience grew, I also began taking on small jobs for friends and family. I would take family pictures for them, snap a few shots at birthday parties, and capture memories of holiday get-togethers. I loved being behind the camera and capturing the beauty of each moment! To my surprise, I started getting asked to photograph events that weren’t family. I will never get over the feeling of how cool that was! I was really becoming more and more comfortable with my shooting and editing skills, but at the same time, I was being pushed out of my comfort zone further than I had ever been before.
I quickly moved up from a second shooter and began taking on first shooter jobs, and absolutely fell in love with it. During this time, I was also working while obtaining my Education degree, but I never gave up my dreams of growing my photography business, so I continued taking on side jobs to help me expand my portfolio.
This past summer, I was working to finish my degree and secure a teaching job. While working at a local boutique, I began making new connections within my area. My boss gave my contact information to a woman looking for a wedding photographer, and to my surprise, they called me! Even crazier than that – they hired me! I didn’t have ANYTHING remotely professional looking to back up the fact that I had photography experience, but I knew that this was a huge opportunity and I wasn’t going to let it go to waste.
This was the turning point in my story. Something that was once a hobby was suddenly turning into a business. I immediately got to work creating my website and Facebook page and uploading examples of my work with pictures that I had taken in the past few years.
Without missing a beat, the support of my family and friends kicked into high gear. They shared my pages and my work and began recommending me to all sorts of people. I started getting messages from people reaching out to me about all kinds of different photography needs. Maternity sessions, Senior sessions, more weddings, private events, and even pictures with their horse.
You name it, it has been asked for, and I have been thrilled to be able to oblige each new request! I look at every new session type as an opportunity to get to learn and grow as a photographer and am always up for whatever challenges my clients throw me!
New sessions and ideas are steadily rolling in, but If I’m being honest, I truly never expected any of this. I never thought that I would get to continue to do what I have loved for such a long time for so many different people and build a passion into a business that is growing in ways I never imagined. Thankful doesn’t even begin to cover how I feel for all of the continuous and constantly growing support. I have had some awesome opportunities to really be creative and I am looking forward to what the future holds for this business.
On top of photography, I am also a full-time High School teacher and Volleyball and Softball Coach. I teach Algebra 1 and I am also currently working towards my Master’s degree in Secondary Mathematics Education. I absolutely love what I do, and I hope to continue to grow and learn as a teacher, coach, and photographer.
I would not be where I am today without the support of my incredible husband, Brady, my parents, my brother and sister, all of my family, friends, co-workers, and the rest of the community. Their support means the world to me, and I am so grateful that this business was all a part of God’s plan for me. I may be the one behind the camera, but I owe all of the success to them.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
With anything in life, there will always be challenges that come up.
When I first created my website and different social media platforms, I was still in college, trying to get hired as a teacher, working full time, and planning my wedding. Life felt like an absolute whirlwind at this point, so why not throw creating a new business and pursuing a passion on top of all that right? I have always been a big believer in “everything happens for a reason” and that “God has a plan.” I think that starting this business (even in this crazy season of my life) was exactly what I needed.
I think that one of my biggest challenges has been balancing being newly married, teaching, coaching, spending time with family, and keeping up with all things photography. Being booked and constantly busy is definitely a great problem to have, but if I had to express an honest challenge, that is easily the biggest one.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Lifestyle photography is where my heart is. I specialize in capturing all of the big milestones in life. Weddings and Engagements, Newborns and Birthdays, Families in every season, and seriously everything in between. Photography is truly a beautiful way to capture the emotion of any moment, and I feel so lucky to be able to do that for my clients.
I am most proud of the connections that I have made since starting this business. I have met so many different and incredible people that transitioned from clients into lifelong friends. I have heard so many horror stories about photography experiences gone wrong. I want my clients to be able to rest assured that their pictures will be handled with care and delivered in a short amount of time. I pride myself on giving them the positive photography experience that everyone deserves.
There are so many extremely talented photographers, especially around where I live. I am constantly working and thinking of different ways to stand out and offer new things to clients. I believe that my ability to connect with people and really capture their stories is one thing that makes me stand out. I am truly there to help them and be someone that they can count on. I believe my pricing and turnaround time are two other things that help set me apart from the rest.
I have always been a competitive person, and this mentality definitely pushes me to try and be the best in all that I do. Finally, I have recently partnered with ST Creative Branding. By working together, we can provide clients with photography and any stationary needs that they may have. We like to call ourselves “Your Favorite Lady Boss Duo,” and we have so much in store for our clients in the future.
It is an absolute honor to work with the immensely talented, Sarah Thomley, and we both feel so empowered as two women that own our small businesses. So stay tuned, because there are big things coming!
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Having any type of business is a constant learning experience.
I feel like I have grown so much as a person, business owner, and artist. I have made so many new connections and met some fantastic people and now lifelong friends. One of the biggest lessons that I have learned is that it is extremely important to make time for myself and for my family.
This is something that my husband still has to remind me of occasionally. I am really good at sometimes spreading myself too thin, and I can definitely say that the biggest lesson (that I am still learning) is to put myself and my family first.
Contact Info:
- Email: shay.john01@gmail.com
- Website: http://shayjohn01.wixsite.com/shaynastewart
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shaynastewartphotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shaynastewartphotography
