Meet Destiney Ford

Today we’d like to introduce you to Destiney Ford.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I have had a camera in my hand since I was 12 years old. My childhood bedroom walls were plastered with photographs and I had albums and memory boxes full of pictures of my peers and family. I took multiple photography classes over the years but found myself in cosmetics for eight years. During that time, I grew my family. Watching my firstborn reach every milestone, I knew I wanted to capture those fleeting moments. My daughter had a camera pointed at her for the next three years. Shortly after my son was born, a family member requested that I take her maternity pictures. Of course, that was a no-brainer. There’s just something about having a camera in my hands.

The day after she received her images, she posted them online. Overnight, I received an inbox full of requests for different types of sessions. I couldn’t believe it. People actually wanted ME to take their pictures. There was this passion for photography that only grew stronger with every new client that I met. There was this creative side that had been pushed aside by sales, marketing, and accounting. Scouting locations, composing an image, the editing process…it fueled this incredible desire to be behind a camera. Before I knew it, I was pursuing photography full time. In the beginning, I dabbled in several genres to build my portfolio and to familiarize myself with each category. Now that I am an established business owner, I specialize in family sessions and branch out to fresh 48, maternity, and senior portraits.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Raising three children alone and being a business owner has definitely had its struggles. There’s been internal and external factors. I have had to master time-management so I can give 100% to my kids and to my business. Also, finding out who you are as a photographer in a society with limitless access to a camera can be daunting in the beginning. You have the established photographers that you Pin and hashtag and you think to yourself “how can I make myself stand out amongst all of these photographers? When everyone in your neighborhood seems to have a camera or knows someone that does, how do you rise above the competition? I spent years pondering these questions and going back and forth on editing styles and trying to keep up with the latest trends. When I finally stopped worrying about what everyone else was producing and created what I loved, it all came together.

Destiney Ford Photography – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am a natural light, lifestyle photographer that travels all over West GA. I specialize in family sessions, maternity, fresh 48, and senior portraits. I am known for my vibrant colors and producing images that showcase a true connection between my subjects. Those big, belly laughs and crinkly noses when mom leans in to kiss her child’s head are a few reasons why an image will tug at your heartstrings. You look back on those photos and you see what your family truly looks like. Of course, everyone has that posed family portrait hanging above their fireplace so I also squeeze those type of images into the gallery but the goal is to capture the “you” that makes up your family.

I take pride in my images. My goal is to create works of art for your walls, not just your timelines. I want your visitors to be captivated by the story that your house tells through these pictures or wall displays. I keep that in mind when producing your online gallery. As much as I love seeing clients post their images, there is no greater feeling than having a client send me a picture of their living room and the walls are covered with the images from their session.

My style of editing definitely sets me apart from the other photographers near me. I am recognized for my rich, vibrant colors and deep blacks for a more contrasting, yet timeless look.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Proud moments occur when a client calls you and says that she’s in tears because she’s looking at her gallery and is so overwhelmed with emotion seeing her littles play and how happy her husband looks holding her in his arms. You know you’ve done something. You have made that mama feel loved because she sees love in her photos. She sees the love she has for her children. She sees how much her husband cares for her. She sees the innocent adoration in her children’s eyes as they look up at her and smile. Sometimes, you are so in that moment full of family-portrait anxiety/chaos, that you don’t see what’s actually there. So I read their emails, I take their late night phone calls. They cry happy tears, I cry happy tears, and we see each other again for the next round of photos.

Pricing:

• Digital Packages start at $175 (4 digital packages are made available.)

Contact Info:

• Website: www.destineyfordphotography.com
• Phone: 678-633-4334
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @destineyfordphotography
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/destineyfordphotography

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