We recently had the chance to connect with Po and have shared our conversation below.
Po, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
Right now I know that I need to put myself at the forefront of my business. I need to step outside of just being behind the camera to being in front of it. I have many interests and I want to explore them all in a way that can be both entertaining and helpful to others. I have been thinking of ways to expand the scope of my business for years, and have done a few things outside of photography that I believe are worth sharing with the world. I have decided that now is the perfect time for me to stretch my wings, trust the process and advocate for myself more so than I ever have in the past. I have put the fear behind me, and now feel that I am ready to embrace all that I am, and have a fun time while doing it!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a photographer based in Tampa, Florida that specializes in lifestyle, portrait, fashion, and wedding photography. I have over 12 years of experience in this business and believe that I am able to bring out the best in my clients by giving them a personalized framework to make them comfortable, by providing an atmosphere of allowing them to have fun and be the best version of themselves. I take the art of photography very seriously, but I allow myself to go with the flow and adapt to the personality of my clients to garner true collaboration; showing expertise and passion to create amazing memories through photos.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who taught you the most about work?
My mother taught me the most about work. Growing up I saw my mother work hard under very tough conditions. She was never without a job, and every job she had,she put her heart and soul into. I started working at the age of 14 in a program that was provided by her job to local youth and when I got my first check, I was filled with pride and a sense of accomplishment. Growing up we never had everything, but because of my mother and her work ethic, we always had enough, and most importantly we had love. She told me about work by showing me about work, she didn’t have to have long conversations with me about it, I just watched what she did, work existed beyond just having a job, work was realized in all things in life. Anything worth having required work, and you will get back what you put in. I have kept this with me since I first learned these lessons from her, and I will always hold those lessons as close to my heart as I hold her.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
There were times in my early years of photography when I teetered with the idea of pulling back. It was never due to my lack of love and passion for photography, it had to do with outside factors. Starting a new business is extremely difficult, it takes a lot of time, and a lot of money to get a business to a point were it can be scalable. Life moves on regardless of your dreams, and bills have to be paid, there were times that I wondered if I would get to the point where I could turn my passion into my profession. I never thought about stopping photography, I did get to a place where I wondered if photography would just be a hobby rather than a profession. After re-evaluating my processes, and learning how to mange my time and priorities, I was able to overcome any doubt that I previously had. I hit the ground running, and although I have faced obstacles, I have been able to overcome each of them, to bring me to a place of earned accomplishment.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
As a photographer, the biggest lie that my industry tells itself is that you have to specialize in a certain genre to be successful. I have never understood why this supposed tenant was stated so much in my early career. I always thought that I could be successful in any genre of photography that I tried to do, and through the years I have proven myself correct. I have shot people in various settings, from fashion shows to weddings, graduations, sports, cars, real estate, nature, and product photography. I believe that a great photographer can shoot anything, no matter the subject, no matter the lighting, no matter the concept, I refuse to allow myself to be placed in a box. I am passionate about photography, the art of framing, lighting, angles, colors and beauty, and I believe that beauty exists across multiple genres, if my heart moves me to do so, I will shoot it!
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days.
I am absolutely tap dancing to work every day! I would not do this if I didn’t love it, for the simple fact that as an artist and a business owner, more time is dedicated to running the business than actually taking photos. Every time I have the opportunity to do another shoot I am excited, each time I am about to do a photo shoot I get nervous like it’s my first time, until it’s showtime, then I instantly become ready for the moment. I have a lot of repeat clients and every time we meet for a shoot we find new ways to tap into our creativity. Meeting new people gives me an entirely different level of motivation and excitement as I always feel like I have something to prove, it keeps me honest, and it helps me push myself to reach levels that I had never reached before, I love being a photographer and bring that joy to every session I do!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theartofpo.com
- Instagram: theartofpo
- Youtube: thartofpomedia
Image Credits
@oreo.ade
@aliyaafrakhteh
@ashontifordlive
@shanellthemodel
@deonna_d
@makei_beauty_image
@t.r.19
