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

Hi Shannel, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The most important factor behind my success is the fact that I do not forget about God. God is truly the head of my life and will always be the person that I pray to and consult with about any direction that I need to know about. I know that God made me and destined purpose over my life. He gave me the vision for my business and without Him, I would not have gotten this far. I know he has a continual plan for my life and I am thankful for his direction that He gives me daily.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a photographer. I have created endless memories for 15yrs now. I love all of what I do. God has truly given me an extraordinary memory and creative side that I able to see photos and recreate the memory of what the client desires. I am so proud of the fact that I see things and God just gives me the vision to create and give back to people who desire something different. It is the constant support of my clients and friends who keep me in action to this day! I do not have lots of clients as I have in the past, but the loyal supporters who keep coming back for precious memories of their family, kids, and milestones. They are my inspiration that keeps me reaching for more and bigger vision of ideas to keep creating outside the box.
Lessons that I have learned along the way is that all money is not good money. That meaning simply mean that every business deal is not meant for you to be a part of or take advantage. We have to be mindful of the purpose of our business and what clientele that we take on. It may not be a reflection of what we truly represent and in some cases, we have to respectfully decline.
My brand is to truly uplift people and to share the love of Jesus Christ through every priceless photo that is being created. God created family. He destined and purposed every human being on this earth. We are amazing in His sight and we can appreciate that by becoming more comfortable in embracing ourselves and loving who we are in his image.

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.
Hmm, great times in East Texas?! It depends on the time of year here! I would take them to see the infamous Rose Garden to view the beautiful roses and take a walk on the Azalea trail to see more roses and azaleas in full bloom! We would take a nice trip down history lane of Tyler and go visit the African American museum and learn about the black heritage of Tyler. We would then stop and sample tastes from Prime 102 downtown and the Black Pearl. We would take a moment to go see both high school campuses of Tyler Legacy and Tyler high. We can go walk some of the many trails around town for nice sight seeing and also hit some shopping spots at the mall and Cumberland shopping center.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Always!! First, I want to give a shout out to God himself because without him, there is no ShaeGray photography. It was Him that purposed within my heart to start my photography and that was to minister, show love, and give back to the people. Second, I want to thank my children, Jaylon and Jordynn for always having the biggest faith in my journey and believing that no matter what, I can always break through and be the master creator of all time. I love you!
To my immediate family, thank you for always believing and never giving up on me. To my first photography family in Arkansas, I love you all and last, to my Texas photography family, thank you! My clients near and far are the reason I cannot put my lens down!

Instagram: shae4photography

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ShaeGray photography

Image Credits
Photo credit: Elizabeth Moore

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