Today we’d like to introduce you to Sami Jandali.
Hi Sami, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve always known I had an eye for photography. Growing up, I couldn’t afford a proper camera, so I made the most of an outdated smartphone and learned to see creatively with whatever I had. Things changed in college when I was finally able to buy my first DSLR. To upgrade my gear and invest in better lenses, I started shooting small events and graduation sessions, which helped me build both my skills and my toolkit.
After graduation, I shifted my focus to my full-time job and put the business side of photography on pause, until I was laid off about two and a half years in. That moment pushed me to reevaluate what I truly wanted. Through new connections with the French Consulate and the French-American Chamber of Commerce, I was able to restart my photography business with fresh energy and direction. My client base grew, my projects diversified, and I even had the chance to capture my first wedding, which was a major milestone for me.
Since then, everything has continued to build. I invested in the gear I had always dreamed of, added a drone to my toolkit, and finally felt equipped to capture any moment or scene the way I envisioned it. Today, I’m doing what I’ve always wanted: telling stories through images, working with clients I love, and creating with the freedom and tools I once only hoped for.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It hasn’t been a smooth road and I don’t think it ever is when you’re building a business, especially in such a saturated industry. I’ve always felt confident in my photography, my ability to communicate with clients, and my approach to running the business side of things. But marketing and visibility have been the biggest challenges. Standing out, reaching the right people, and consistently finding new clients in a crowded market is one of the hardest parts of the journey. Despite that, each obstacle has pushed me to grow, refine my approach, and stay adaptable.
As you know, we’re big fans of Sami Jandali Photography. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
My business specializes in event and portrait photography, but my work also extends into sports and concert photography. I’ve even had the opportunity to shoot for UGA sports teams. Across all of these areas, I’m known for delivering high-quality images paired with exceptionally fast turnaround times. Many clients tell me that slow delivery is one of the most common frustrations they experience with photographers, so providing quick, consistent results has become one of the hallmarks of my brand.
Strong communication, flexibility, and reliability are also core parts of how I work. I take pride in creating an experience where clients feel taken care of from start to finish. What I’m most proud of, brand-wise, is the balance I’ve built between quality and speed, my clients receive images they love without the long wait. For anyone considering my services, I want them to know that I approach every project with professionalism, creativity, and a genuine passion for capturing moments in the best possible way.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
One resource that has had a big impact on my work, both as a photographer and as a software engineer, is an app I recently created called Borderly. It brings together my two main skill sets in a way that genuinely improves my creative workflow. I built it after realizing how much time I spent in Photoshop manually adding borders, frames, and captions to the photos I wanted to share with friends and family. The process was slow and repetitive, so I decided to create a tool that could handle all of that in just a few seconds.
Borderly makes it incredibly simple to style and prepare photos for sharing. Users can add customizable borders and frames, adjust aspect ratios, fine-tune image positioning, apply filters, and include captions with drop shadows for a professional look. The app also exports images in high quality for any platform. Borderly Pro includes additional features such as unlimited exports, advanced quality settings, preset syncing through iCloud, and the ability to save favorite border styles.
What I appreciate most is how much time it saves, not only for me but for other photographers and creators as well. Whether someone is building a consistent social media feed, showcasing their photography, or just enhancing personal photos, Borderly provides an easy and efficient way to create clean and aesthetic results in seconds. Building this app has improved my own workflow and allowed me to give others a tool that helps elevate their images with much less effort.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://samijandali.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jandaliphotography
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/jandaliphotography
- Other: https://instagram.com/samis_jpeg
