Today we’d like to introduce you to Asia Asberry.
Asia, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I became interested in photography. When I was around eight-years-old. Inspired by my photojournalist sister who photographs for the United States Marine Corps, I became enamored with taking photos after she came back home from the Marine base with a — what I thought — state-of-the-art Nikon point and shoot camera.
She would demonstrate to my amazed family and I everything the camera could do and the amazing (for 2005) quality packed into this tiny machine. When my sister finally went back to the base, I couldn’t stop talking about that little camera. I talked so much about it that my mother surprised me with my own little silver point and shoot of my own — this time, a Kodak. I took that camera with me everywhere I went and used it so much that one day a couple of years later, it died and never came back on.
I didn’t use a camera again until I was 14 and a freshman in high school when I had gotten my first iPhone: a white iPhone 4s. Everyone in 2011 raved about the amazing camera quality this phone had — and to be fair, there was no better phone camera at the time. Freshman year was also a time when I got daring with my fashion choices and wore things most people wouldn’t think of. When I got my iPhone, I decided to take pictures of my outfits daily to post on Instagram for my couple hundred followers to see. I never missed the opportunity to show off what weird things I had paired together that day and soon enough my following started to grow rapidly.
That setup lasted me a year until Christmas of 2012 when my mom got me my first DSLR: a Canon T3i. Immediately, the quality and creativity of my photos increased and attracted even more followers to my account. By the end of junior year, my account had grown to 5000 followers (which was a lot in the initial years of Instagram) and I was even getting recognized by my followers in public.
Eventually, that phase of my life died down, and in 2015, I left for college at the University of Georgia — my dream school. I was going through a rough period in my life and was not excited about my future. At the same time that I got help for the way that I was feeling, my best friend from home asked me if I could take her little sister’s graduation photos. At this point, I hadn’t picked up my camera since 2014 and it was now 2016. I let her know that I hadn’t ever taken photos for somebody and not only that, I hadn’t picked up my camera in years. None of that mattered to her or her family, they only wanted photos to document the culmination of her senior year — no high expectations at all. So I agreed. I traveled back home from Athens, did my first ever commissioned shoot, and loved it. I was so proud of myself for taking and delivering photos for someone and decided I wanted to do this again.
After five good years with my first DSLR, I got to a point where I felt like I wanted to do more than my camera could offer. So, Christmas of 2017, I used all the money I’d saved as a gymnastics coach (and had a little help from my parents) and purchased my dream camera, my Canon 5D Mark III. I quickly became obsessed with learning everything I could from various photography YouTube channels and practicing what I had learned. Using all of the information I had learned, immediately after receiving my camera in the mail, I scheduled a shoot for the next week. And I. Killed. It. The photos were unlike anything I had taken before and I couldn’t believe I had taken them. Still to this day, that shoot remains in my top 3 most favorite shoots. It was a huge confidence booster and I began scheduling shoots with my friends every weekend.
With my consistent shooting and posting on Instagram, I managed to build a strong clientele and a reputation as one of the many talented photographers at the University of Georgia. And even though I have graduated and moved back home, I have still maintained a strong name for myself in Athens and have started to grow my clientele in Atlanta.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I don’t believe any small business owner or entrepreneur has a smooth path to success. In terms of my journey, it began while I was experiencing depression. It was very hard to stay motivated to pick up my camera, shoot, and improve my craft. However, my photography is ultimately what managed to pull me out of that phase of my life, which I take as a sign from God telling me that this is what I am supposed to be doing.
Since then, there have only been a few minor struggles that every photographer is bound to run into — unhappy clients, gear malfunctioning mid-shoot, money lost, et cetera.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Shot by Asia story. Tell us more about the business.
My photography business, Shot by Asia LLC, was formed early 2019. I specialize in all kinds of portraits but am most known for my college senior portraits and my self-styled creative portraits.
I am most proud of the fact that I am completely self-taught and took initiative to better skills and grow my company on my own. I am proud of how I was able to juggle college, work, volunteering, and photography and still manage to succeed in all. Lastly, I am extremely proud of myself for pushing through my depression and turning myself into a very in-demand photographer through practice, research, and hard work.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I am not someone who believes in luck, but rather God. I believe that God assigns every person a talent and when we finally tap into it, success comes naturally as it was meant to be by God. All of my successes and hardships come directly from God as rewards, lessons, or both.
Pricing:
- Portrait sessions starting at $200
Contact Info:
- Website: shotbyasia.com
- Email: photogbyasia@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/shotbyasia
- Twitter: twitter.com/shotbyasia
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