Today we’d like to introduce you to Judith Garrison.
Hi Judith, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Without a doubt, the unexpected can be the most gratifying.
I was raised in the mountains of North Georgia, the product of parents who were emblematic of America’s Greatest Generation. I came to them late in life, and knowing me as I do now, they had no idea that the adoption of a baby girl would turn their world upside down. They, like most of their small-town neighbors, spent days working, educating, worshipping, sharing, and being grateful for all bounty – even as little as it was.
I could plow the fields behind a mule, shell butterbeans till my fingers ached, pluck a chicken with the best of them, and sew the most delicate dress for Sunday’s church service—and I did it all while whining. Looking back, those years built my character and taught me that nothing was owed to me simply because I was alive.
Today, I have three college degrees; a two-decade stint in teaching; a small business built from a dream; a fortunate career as an author, travel journalist, and editor; and a photography studio where I freeze moments in time.
I am so thankful for parents who instilled in me honor, integrity, purpose, and faith. These cornerstones constructed my personal and professional visions as well as my urgency to preserve stories, both in written form and in imagery. The need of preserving the story, in whatever form or description, is imperative in a society that is immersed in the right now.
I’ve always loved writing and knew I had a couple of books in me, so having a degree of success in editorial is not a complete shocker. However, being a photographer who wields a camera like Brienne of Tarth brandishes her sword in Game of Thrones, now that’s quite unexpected. Raising my camera is power, and at that moment, I fade away, and it’s all about what’s on the other side of the lens. Perfection to me. And I couldn’t be happier.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No journey is ever smooth.
I am currently on Plan B. Plan A was a bust – love, marriage, job, and family. I either had to figure out a different direction for my life or pull the earth over my head and disappear into the void.
I’m not the first woman to survive domestic abuse and be presented with an impossible scenario where giving into sadness made the most sense. Although it would have been easier to give up, it would have not given me joy or a future.
And now, I’m head over heels in love with my husband who rescued me from me. The rolling hills of the Appalachian Mountains lounge outside my window. My now proves that if you hang in there, effort will pay off.
The greatest obstacle we face in our business now is our age, not for us, but for our clients. We’re not the stereotypical photographer (thank goodness) that clients are searching for—young and cute with leather-brimmed hats and tight jeans. Getting clients, especially wedding clients, to look beyond the façade and into the depth of our character, expertise, and experience, is a struggle.
Our ideal client, the older couple who values photography and acknowledges its role in their story, is who we seek. Small business entrepreneurs and women-owned businesses, they make us giddy with possibility. Travel photography adds another layer to our storytelling. Whatever we are doing, we are telling the story.
I am a 63-year-old woman who sees the world with an original voice and a seasoned perspective. I’m ready when you are.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
My husband Len and I are Seeing Southern. We have several facets to our company.
The first is editorial. We are both journalists and freelance travel writers and photographers with a narrative and documentary focus. We have contributed to publications including Simply Buckhead, Interval International, Delta Sky, AARP, AAA, BBC, and many others. I am the editor of Georgia Connector, a regional magazine in Georgia. We are both members of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW), the world’s most prestigious travel organization; Len is also an award-winning photographer with SATW.
I am the author of two books: North Georgia Moonshine (Arcadia Publishing, 2015) and 100 Things to do in Athens, Ga. Before You Die (Reedy Press 2022). Both are available on Amazon.
The second part of our company is photography. With hopes to open doors to a brick-and-mortar studio in the coming year, for now, we travel the world for clients: commercial, family, product, branding, and wedding. As much as the final product is an integral part of the photography session, the client experience is equally important to us. We work diligently to serve clients in all aspects of their lives, documenting moments that might otherwise be lost to memory. Much like my writing, our photography is narrative and documentary rather than fine art or posed. The elevated client experience is what sets us apart from other studios.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
I tend never to give advice for everyone is different. Some things are relative to every walk: purpose, intent, motive, and inspiration.
Both writing and photography are hard and cut-throat professions. It didn’t take me long to understand that.
People have to decide for themselves if they want their dream, and if so, do what it takes to achieve it.
Pricing:
- Wedding Photography: From $2900
- Branding Photography: From $800
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.seeingsouthern.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seeingsouthernphotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seeingsouthernphotography
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/seeingsouthern/, https://www.seeingsouthernphotography.com/,
Image Credits
Seeing Southern
