Meet Mhandy Gerard of M. Gerard Photography in Kirkwood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mhandy Gerard.

Mhandy, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I am a native of Stone Mountain, GA and child of Haitian immigrants. My parents always touted the importance of getting an education and starting a career. My family and love for science were major influences into the career path I chose; Pharmacy. Although I did find joy in helping my patients, I didn’t always feel fulfilled working in corporate America. Therefore, I started to look for ways to find happiness outside of the 9 to 5 grind. I started by thinking back on all of the hobbies and passions that I’d put on hold in order to keep my eyes on the academic prize, so to speak. My love for photography and travel floated up to the top of my list. I made it a point to travel when I could and to always have my camera along. As time went on, I realized that whenever I was shooting, time would fly by and I wouldn’t even notice because I was having a great time. I put more time into my, then hobby, and took classes to learn how to get better, joined photography groups to network with fellow shooters, and took up an internship to gain exposure to various types of photography.

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?
Thus far, the road hasn’t been too rough but there have definitely been some bumps in the road. I think the things I’ve struggled most with are the things that many people deal with when leaving a more structured field of study and stepping out into a realm where the path to follow for success isn’t as clearly laid out. So every ‘struggle’ for me has really been a moment for me to learn something, i.e. how to network and build lasting relationship, getting outside of my comfort zone and asking a stranger if I can take their photo, what goes into starting a small business, finding ways to both get and share my work.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with M. Gerard Photography – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
M. Gerard Photography was started this year after I quit my full-time job in order to pursue what I really love. I specialize in documentary style photography- I’m known for showing life as it beautifully is. I love to capture everyday life, highlighting the vibrancy of that moment in time. So my work can encompass everything from BTS and events to street, travel, and portraiture. I’m most proud of my willingness to take my life into my own hands and go after my goals. What sets me apart is my perspective and attention to detail. I’m always looking for ‘the moment’.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I’m looking forward to narrowing down my work to a niche and building up a thriving business around that but people can definitely contact me now if they’d like to book a dynamic headshot, lifestyle, or event shoot!

One of my long term goals is to become a full-time international photographer and publish a book of my personal travel work.

Contact Info:

• Website: mgerardphotography.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speckles_/

Image Credit:
Keith Terrell (personal photo)

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