Today we’d like to introduce you to Demonica Stanley.
Hi Demonica, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Growing up as a child and well into my adult life, I always loved being the reason why people smiled and just exhibited joy. While in college I took at film photography class and absolutely loved it. The process of loading film into the camera, capturing images in black and white that captured the essence of the mood, the story, the details of every person or thing that I saw through the lens. Then taking that film and going through the rewarding process of developing those images in the darkroom. To then display them on in the class art gallery. It was rewarding, it was purposeful, it was all about my perspective. After graduating college and through the time of the pandemic, I purchased my first DSLR Camera and began learning more about the passion. I accepted a job at Lifetouch Photography doing school photography to increase my knowledge and learn the skills such as posing, lighting, customer service, and camera settings needed to be successful in photography from professionals. I learned in different areas of photography for example, sports, portraits, seniors, groups. From this increase of knowledge and skill birthed Shae Portraits LLC, my photography business. With Shae Portraits, my mission is capturing life’s most meaningful moments through the art of photography. With a passion for storytelling and a keen eye for detail, my goal is to transform visions into timeless images. Whether it’s a wedding, family portrait, corporate event, or a personal session, I am dedicated to providing high-quality photos that reflect my clients unique story and personality. With Shae portraits I support JSpeaks – A podcast platform that has real conversations with real people in order to share content to the world that is positive, motivational, educational and informational, Thomas Mentoring Leadership Academy- An organization that leads young males with purpose, motivation, and direction. Promote education through leadership. Produce future leaders for the next generation through love, and the Meredith College Cross Country & Track and Field Program.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Some challenges that has been faced is building a clientele. Photography is such a saturated industry and everyone has different thing they specialize in So for a time in the beginning and still currently, I am building a portfolio and learning different styles of photography and editing to offer a wide variety of services for clients.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a photographer that specializes in capturing timeless memories. Everything in life whether good and bad creates a memory in our brain. It’s my charge to capture the good memories and have them in families for generations to come. When people look at good authentic pictures of themselves, I want it to bring joy to their hearts as if they are living in the moment again. I am known for making people comfortable to be who they are in front of the camera. This makes every shoot unique by nature. I am most proud of the reactions I get from clients when they see themselves in a light that they maybe haven’t before. What sets me apart from other photographers is my versatility. I don’t just stick to one editing style; I try to cater to the needs of my clients. I give my advice, but ultimately the choice is theirs. I always send proofs of the work before I finish editing, just to make sure we are all on the same page.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up as a kid I was heavy into being outside and sports. I wasn’t your average girl who had tea parties and babydolls. I was rough and tough. Wanted to get dirty, wanted to explore, wanted to run. I never considered myself to be artistic, probably because my sense of art was only looked at as drawing and coloring. Surprisingly enough though I loved to have my picture taken., which sprouted into a passion. Something else as a kid that I loved to do was look through my grandma’s old photo album. To see all the memories of my siblings and I as kids that I probably can’t remember on my own. To hear her tell the stories of the associated picture was always the best.
Pricing:
- Headshot: $100
- “Just because”: $150
- Senior Portraits: $150
- Events: $150/hr
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.shaeportraitsphotography.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shaeportraits__/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shaeportraits/
