We’re looking forward to introducing you to Sam Reed. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Sam, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What is a normal day like for you right now?
A normal day for me is usually pretty boring honestly! I start my morning with an iced coffee and I go through my emails and tackle those first. From there I pop on some reality TV (some of my faves are the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City and Below Deck) and get into editing. I keep a tab open with TV on all day as background noise, helps keep me stimulated and helps me crush through the Real Housewives franchise hahaha Some days I interupt editing with photo sessions or tasks like grocery shopping but I usually wrap my day up arounf 5/6pm for the night to relax with my husband after dinner together. Nothing too crazy, and honestly just how I like it!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Sam, a lifestyle photographer and portrait studio owner in Philadelphia! I’ve spent the last eleven years honing in on my craft, making sure that I can create situations in which people feel comfortable being their authentic selves and letting me capture that in a way that feels warm, natural, and packed with emotion. My style is warm,
intimate, and lifestyle focused, perfect for people who want to romanticize their everyday moments and create family heirlooms that will be treasured for generations.
My approach is rooted in comfort and connection because I believe the best photos happen when people feel at ease. I’m not just documenting what you look like, I’m capturing who you are and the love you share with the people who matter most to you. Together I work with my clients to create a scenario that let’s their story shine through.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who taught you the most about work?
My mother without a doubt. Growing up was a tumultuous situation that included battling abuse and poverty and my mom worked tirelessly my whole life to ensure that we could live as comfortably as possible. She worked overtime regularly for year, and eventually worked her way from being a nurses aide to becoming an RN and continuing to persue education while working full time and providing for myself and my three siblings.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Many times! Starting up your own small business, especially in the creative field, is really difficult. I began dabbling with photography when I was in Buffalo, NY and before my move to Philadelphia I told myself I was going to take this opportunity to start fresh and persue my photography more seriously. Then two weeks after my move, COVID shut the world and my plans down temporarily.
And in the stages of growing and deciding to open my portrait studio I faced a lot of self doubt. I didn’t think I could manage it and thought that surely this would be a huge financial mistake. But my husband, then fiancee, really encouraged me to believe in myself and reminded me of all of the reasons it could be amazing. We walked through what the true worst case scenario could be and then what the best case scenarios could be and everything inbetween and it helped me see that I could do it. And to this day it was one of the best decisions I’ve made for my business!
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. How do you differentiate between fads and real foundational shifts?
This can be tricky, particularly in the wedding industry but I think often times fads are stylistic choices – linen or acrylic signage, blurred artistic photos, mixmatched bridesmaids dresses, etc. But foundational shifts are things like how most folks these days choose not to do a lot of the traditional wedding fanfare from back in the day like the bouquet and garter toss, the announced big cake cutting. Or how people are now prioritizing time with their loved ones for candids over taking endless staged photos. There are some things that are changing about how people approach setting up their wedding day and that seems to go beyond a fad and seeming to be a generational shift in the ‘traditional wedding day.’
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
Absolutely what I was born to do. I tried going a more ‘traditional’ route, going to college and getting my Bachelor’s degree in psychology but well before I had even graduated with my bachelor’s I realized that leading a ‘normal life’ with a ‘traditional’ job wasn’t going to be the thing that fulfilled me. I had always known that I loved helping people and making people feel good, but I didn’t realize how I could achieve that in the arts and still maintain a comfortable life. But after years of stumbling and trying to find other paths, the road continued to lead to my love for photography. And after years and years of connecting with clients and photographing huge milestone moments for people like their weddings, newborn sessions, their first family photos, I realized I have been able to touch people in ways I could have never imagined through my work!
And I always joke that I was meant to be a newborn photographer because my body is a heater at all times and babies love that hahaha
Contact Info:
- Website: https://samreedphoto.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/samreedphoto
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/samreedphoto
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