Conversations with Sammy Mckenzie

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sammy Mckenzie.

Hi Sammy, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Photography for me started as a creative outlet. I picked up an old hand-me-down camera from my mother in 2016, I was 14 years old at the time, and began photographing anything and everything around me. I would watch youtube videos, take classes, and plan fun shoots with my friends anytime they would let me! I was obsessed with perfecting my art and growing my skills with my camera, as well as post-editing in lightroom. Going into high school I began to create images that grabbed the attention of some of my friends who were Seniors.

At the time, I was not charging anything for sessions nor was I planning on it in the future. I didn’t view photography as a career path until I was shooting my first Senior session with someone that heard about me through word of mouth and wasn’t in my immediate friend group. I was super nervous, of course, because this was the first time I was shooting a session with someone I qualified as a stranger.

When we reached the end of the session she asked me how much she owed me for the session. Honestly, I was a little taken aback and unprepared because I had never charged for a photoshoot so I had no idea what was appropriate pricing. I responded and let her know that I do all my sessions for free and she seemed stunned. She continued to say to me, “well I have to pay you something, I’ve seen your work and it’s so good! I have $20, will that do?” I VERY proudly accepted the $20 bill and from there on started charging $20 for every session. As my experience grew, so did my pricing, and somehow from there, I ended up where I am today! I will forever be grateful to my very first client and all the rest that see my work and value it.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I would say the main struggle that most photographers face is the lack of training available for photography. Every photographer is different and handles their camera and post-editing in their own unique way. Photography is really a “pave your own way,” type of career/hobby. There are no guides or manuals that can explain to you how to get your photos and edits to look identical to the “professionals.” It takes a lot of trial and error, as well as a lot of messing around in Adobe Lightroom with presets, to find your unique style as a photographer. I still to this day learn something new from every photoshoot I attend and every conversation I have with another photographer! Staying open to learning from others and many other sources is how I’ve gotten to where I am today.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a photographer offering services all over Tennessee and anywhere else my work takes me! I started off shooting senior sessions as my main line of work but as my business has grown so has my love and passion for weddings. I started opening up spots to shoot as lead photography for weddings about a year ago and things have really bloomed on their own since then. In my first year of marketing for weddings, I shot 10 and have already booked 14 for 2022! While wedding photography has taken over my main source of income for my business, I will always continue to offer senior, family, couples, events, maternity, and good ole regular portrait photography as part of my business. I want to be known as a one-stop-shop for my clients, whatever you need to be captured, I’m there and I’ve done it all! I would say I really specialize in fine art and creative photography.

Every session and wedding I shoot I am constantly looking for a way to tell a story creatively through the environment and people surrounding me. This type of storytelling photography is where I got my tagline, “making moments into memories.” I am extremely skilled in Lightroom, an editing software, as well as my Canon camera. I have been shooting with canon and editing in lightroom well over 7 years now so I know the ins and outs of both. Through my years of shooting, I have been exposed to a thousand different lighting situations and had to push through and shoot around it all. Come rain or shine, on a wedding day I am prepared! I would say that my experience with my camera as well as my ability to capture details and tell a story with my photography is the main factor that sets me apart from others.

Photography is definitely a very saturated field of work, but the best part about it is that every photographer has their own “style” that appeals to different clients. I truly believe that with each client I book with I am destined to work with. On my website, I state that I am a photographer for the “Bold and Romantic” because those truly are the people I want to work with!

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
My main piece of advice for any aspiring photographer out there is to do it because you have a passion for it and you love serving others by capturing their stories. If you go into it with that perspective then you will succeed and grow in your art form. My next tip may sound cheesy, but it’s important; go out and shoot every day.

Learn every button on your camera and know what every setting change does to your images. Never become complacent with your editing or shooting, always strive to grow, learn from others, and do better. My last, but also extremely vital word of advice would be to value your work and never compare yourself to other photographers. Photography is an art form and therefore there is no “right way” or “wrong way.” Art is taken in and enjoyed by people differently based on each individual’s personal preference. Create your own art and edit your images to your style. Don’t worry about reaching the mass public’s approval. The clients will come because they will feel drawn to your work in the same way you are.

Pricing:

• Weddings range from $1,500-2,700
• Portraits range from $150-350
• Couples range from $150-350
• Family sessions range from $250-450

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.sammymckenzie.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/picturesbysammy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sammymckenziephotography/

Image Credits:
Sammy Mckenzie Photography