We had the good fortune of connecting with Ajia Newhouse and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Ajia, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
It was the only thing that made sense for me. Ive always had a camera and im the friend who documents literally everything and i always have since i was little. 12 years old making YouTube videos and editing on windows movie maker. I knew if there was i one business i could really thrive in and make money off of my craft would have to involve a camera. It’s just such a diverse field with such unlimited flexibility. The flexibility was most definitely something important just because i have a 4 year old daughter and we homeschool so i needed something that could bend around my already crazy schedule.
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.
I started of shooting music videos and working with a lot of artist in the nightlife. At the time it was such a great way to get my feet wet but the pay was low and so inconsistent and i was pulling long hours that honestly felt like partying. I started losing interest and i have a 4 year old daughter so doing shoots and starting at 10 pm at night and coming home well after 3am was getting exhausting. I wanted a different vibe and everyone kept telling me to shoot photos and after constantly telling people no i had a client that was just so persistent and literally forced money into my pocket to just give it a try and capture his graduation photos. I studied hard and watched a ton of YouTube videos because i always feel weird when money comes into play i want to give my absolute best work even if he wasnt expecting much. Those photos are what started me on my photography journey and allowed my videography to take the backseat. To tak things a step further i knew photography would be more consistent and the money people were willing to pay for a SINGLE photo was outstandingly way more than what i had been making for a music video that took hours of work. I decided to do branding for small upcoming businesses who had already somewhat budgeted for photography work for their marketing and knew the investment they were making. Becoming a branding photographer was the best career decision for me. I specifically brand for all the beauty industry girlies who want that real Boss bitch CEO vibe. I try to go for that edgy look in photos and make headshots more meaningful by displaying their craft instead of just having my girl standing with her arms crossed for a photo. They work so hard on their businesses and theyre paying me all this money to make their business stand out so i try to give each client an experience that really gives back what theyre paying for!
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well its state fair season so thats a for sure first stop when visiting Dallas. Deep Ellen was the vibe but its so dangerous now did rather order in food from different places around the city and get drinks at home
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Im so very thankful to all the clients ive worked with that continuously recommend me to people and to anyone who hasnt been a client but still just supports and recommends me. Word of mouth has been such a huge part of my success and im just grateful to anyone who has taken the time to appreciate my craft and share that with someone.
Website: Newhauskollection.com
Instagram: Instagram.com/newhauskollection
Image Credits
New Haus Kollection