Joshua Stewart shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Joshua, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
My girlfriend and I just adopted a new kitten, so the first 90 minutes of my day lately have been spent feeding and playing with him. When he calms down enough to lay in my lap, either at my desk or on the porch, I look over my planner and figure out what all I need and can do for the day. Usually after that I am answering emails or jumping into some light warm up photo edits before I get ready and actually start my day.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Josh Stewart, a photographer based on Tybee Island, Georgia, specializing in family portraits, weddings, real estate, and landscape photography across the Savannah and Tybee area.
What makes my work unique is the mix of technical precision and a grounded, low-pressure atmosphere. I want clients to feel like they’re on vacation when we do a shoot. I focus on showing real connection and genuine moments in my photos. That approach has really resonated with families visiting the Tybee and Savannah and couples seeking an intimate wedding experience. That style also comes through in my real estate and landscape work. For STVRs I am able to show what makes homes special and in my landscape photos viewers often say that they feel like they are there in that moment looking at the sunset or stars.
Before becoming a full time photographer I worked in pharmacy for over a decade. That let me hone my ability to be prepared and calm when something unplanned happens (which happens a lot in family and wedding shoots!), along with the focus to pay attention to the small details during shoots and editing. And of course excellent customer service skills; you gotta have those when dealing with sick people all day long.
I’m endlessly working on and refining ways to make my client’s experience better. Recently I added a little quiz when booking so clients can tell me their preferences on whether they want to get in the ocean during the shoot, how energetic they are, if they want any black and whites, etc.
I also added a local recommendations page to my site so I can share the best restaurants and businesses on Tybee with my clients to make their whole vacation better. That’s been a very popular page on my site according to my analytics!
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
When I was working in the pharmacy years ago my pharmacy manager, Nguyen, encouraged me to pursue photography as a career. I had just started taking photos a few months before that and had the impression that it was extremely difficult and near impossible to be a professional photographer. Going from my little sunset photos posted on social media to being a full time photographer seemed comically impossible back then. But he told me I should give it a go because he saw how happy it made me. So I did. I kept growing and learning and eventually go to the point where I could leave the pharmacy and pursue this photography career.
What once seemed impossible is now my reality. It’s both humbling and wonderful to look back on that time in my life. Remembering how I went out every single day to practice my craft and slowly but surely people started reaching out to me with offers to pay me because of what they saw on social media.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering taught me the value of sustainability in life, work, and creativity in a way success never could. When everything’s going well, it’s easy to think momentum will last forever. Hard seasons remind you that your energy, time, and mental health are finite resources.
It taught me to build systems I can live with on my worst days, not just my best ones. To recognize when I’m burning out before I break. And most importantly to find meaning in the small wins, because sometimes those are all you can reach for, and they’re enough to keep you moving forward.
Success can make you confident, but suffering makes you resilient.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes and no. I’ve heard people on YouTube talk about how their on camera personality isn’t fully the real them, it’s a caricature of themselves and I feel like it’s same with me and my business. With clients I have to have a confident greeting and want to keep the conversations going so I can learn about them and give them a great experience. The conversations are real and what I say is real and truthful, but when I’m not working I am a quiet introvert who would not usually engage like that with people.
When I’m not working I’m probably working quietly at my computer on a new game (I recently started learning to code and am making a video game) or reading a dark fantasy novel on my porch. I am definitely not the type to go out and have conversations with strangers. Though it is nice sometimes on the rare occasion I do, I will admit.
So yes the public version of me is really a part of me, but if a client saw me outside of work they would be surprised at how quiet, shy, and reserved I actually am.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
Yes absolutely! My work has to mean something to me before it can mean anything to anyone else. Praise is gratifying, but it’s temporary. What lasts is knowing I showed up for what I believe in, whether it’s a client shoot, or a personal project. The act of doing my best is its own reward, because it keeps my craft sharp and my integrity intact.
Recognition is nice. But creating something I can stand behind matters more.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.joshontybee.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshstewartphotography
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshontybee
Image Credits
All photos taken by me, Josh Stewart Photography
