Meet Samantha Sandusky | Lifestyle & Portrait Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Samantha Sandusky and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Samantha, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
In 2019 when I went off to college, I felt like I had to study something practical and useful, instead of allowing myself to explore my interests and pursue what I actually love doing. I put so much pressure on myself to make a future for myself, that I forgot to have fun and let myself be creative. When my son was born during my last semester at Texas A&M, I was blessed with the opportunity to stay home with him. In the midst of capturing all of his milestones these first few months, I realized it was time to let myself pursue my passions for photography and more. I felt like if I didn’t take the leap and try to pursue photography now, I never would, and so I just went for it.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
In college I studied Pre-Law, and absolutely hated the majority of my studies besides my philosophical courses. I thought that I had to settle down and study something practical, and that I’d be silly to pursue anything creative or that I could possibly fail at. But I never felt satisfied with the idea of sitting at a desk working 9-5 everyday for the rest of my life. I always had an interest in journalism and photography, but always came up with a reason that I couldn’t give it a shot. When I decided to stay home with my son after I graduated, I had no excuse to not try and pursue photography. Photos paint a picture of time standing still, and my goal throughout my photography is to create photos that capture not only those memories but cherish the captivating moments of life.

It’s definitely not easy starting your own business, and I think the most difficult decision I made through this all was just starting Sammi Sand Photography in itself. I struggle with anxiety and was terrified about failing or not being successful enough, and even though I thought about taking the leap for quite a while, it took me months to actually do it. I finally came to the realization that as nervous as I was and still am at times about creating a successful business and brand, I would regret it even more if I didn’t even attempt to follow my passions. I want to raise our son knowing that he can follow his interests and explore his passions and still be successful, and I want him to see his mom do the same.

I think this goes with any industry, but I don’t think outsiders always realize how harsh this industry can be, and that’s something I’ve learned along the way specially. By no means do I know all of the best poses or edits or captions, but it’s a daily learning process for me and I enjoy that I’m consistently trying to better my skills. I think some photographers forget that everyone starts from zero at some point in their life, and that at one point they knew nothing too. When I started my business I looked up to so many other photographers I follow and wished I could learn from them, but competition in this industry can be brutal, and not everyone wants you to succeed. I was surprised by the lack of friendliness, and I still get self-conscious at times because of how harsh other photographers can be who clinically “know more” than you. I’ve seen some photographers get criticized on social media or ads for their preferences or camera settings and mocked for shooting in different capacities than others, and it can be so discouraging for someone like me who is new to this industry. I finally have come to the realization that it shouldn’t matter to me what others think. If I fail, at least I learn from the experience. I’ve worked really hard to change my mindset from being afraid of trying, to instead thinking about the disappointment I might feel if I never do put myself out there and follow my dreams, and I think the first mindset is more tragic than trying and failing.

When I started up Sammi Sand Photography, I decided to allow myself to be creative with this process and not overly put pressure on myself. I have goals in place for myself, and of course I’m always working to better my knowledge and craft my skills, but I don’t feel rushed or anxious anymore to book every session out there or to stress myself out over the little things. I just want my clients to have fun throughout the process and for us to capture moments they’ll want to look back on constantly.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When it comes to Fort Worth, you can’t go wrong with the Stockyards, especially at night! A big part of me grew up hanging around the Stockyards, and even after I left for college, the dancehalls and bars were so much fun to go out to!

For College Station, you can’t go wrong with any bar or restaurant around campus. There’s so much tradition and history behind Aggieland, and you can’t go wrong with a trip to Northgate.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would definitely dedicate my shoutout to God; without my faith, I truly believe I wouldn’t ever have been blessed with creating the life that I have today.

Website: https://sammisandphotography.mypixieset.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sammisandphoto/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sammisandphoto