Today we’d like to introduce you to Sharde’ Chapman.
Sharde’, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I have been doing photography since I was fifteen years old. My first camera was a Canon Rebel 35mm film camera, given to me by one of my sound mentors when I mentioned how much I wanted to try photography. I’m not sure he knows this, but that changed my life. I come from a family of photo enthusiasts. My great grandfather and grandmother were rarely without their cameras, and my mother helped me get started in street photography. She and I would take our Canon SLRs out on road trips and capture things as we got lost in cities. I credit my mom a lot with fostering my love for the arts. She was always on board with me, exploring anything that piqued my interest.
When I got my first DSLR in college, a Nikon D50, I would bug my friends to let me do their portraits, and I began playing with color grading with a free program called Picasa (It was not that good, now that I think about it). I tended only to do photography sporadically, a wedding here, and photoshoot there. I did not think much about the mechanics. I just did it and enjoyed it.
It was not until I began doing YouTube and running a blog on traveling that I realized I needed quality visuals. So, of course, I did them myself. Taking my blog and Instagram photos are what got me to take pictures regularly. In doing these self-portraits and badgering my friends to let me practice on them, I realized that this is what I wanted to do. I would take gigs here and there as a side hustle that supplements my income while I work through a Ph.D. When a few of my friends and my partner said, “I look at this picture, and you captured me. You captured my essence. It hit me that I should be doing photography because not only did I have a natural talent in it, but it gave me an immense amount of fulfillment. It came at the best and worst time of my life! I’m writing full time which provides me with some time flexibility, but I also live on a tight budget because I’m still a full-time student, but here we are!
I started Sharde’ Chapman Photography as a way of helping others to tell their visual stories and capture the moments that they want to remember.
Has it been a smooth road?
Certainly not. Building a business is hard. We don’t get to rely on our talents and have people flock to us with money in hand. I have put a lot of time into learning more about my craft, how to do it better, what my aesthetic is, what my work sounds like. I’ve also been learning more about the mechanics of building a business and being fiscally responsible, but I find it fascinating. That may be the lifetime learner in me. One of my struggles has been making investments in myself and my business (e.g., getting a website subscription, attending professional conferences, mentorship). When you don’t have as much coming in, making necessary investments can seem expensive. I’ve learned that you do what you can and don’t let not having those things keep you from starting. There are plenty of resources that you can use for free to get started (I began with Pixieset to house my galleries).
I would suggest starting somewhere. Use the resources you have, make an Instagram for your photos, bug your friends to model for you, and use YouTube and Skillshare (hello free trial!) to learn as much as you can about the business and honing your craft. Buy a used camera and lens (I still use older equipment that I bought on eBay) and learn how to make the equipment do what you want it to do. It is a process, so be patient and do not compare someone else’s chapter 10 with your chapter 3.
We’d love to hear more about Sharde’ Chapman Photography.
I am a portrait photographer for the person that is looking to improve and increase their visual presence. I pride myself on getting to know my clients and being able to capture their essence through my photos. I think what sets me apart is that I’m an awkward introvert that does not like being in front of the camera. Because I force myself to take pictures, I practice posing myself and studying facial expressions. I am also a plus-size woman. Posing myself helps me to pose others and provide an experience where my clients can feel both confident and comfortable.
So much of the media coverage is focused on the challenges facing women today, but what about the opportunities? Do you feel there are any opportunities that women are particularly well-positioned for?
I think there are a growing number of opportunities for women to be showcased in, though I do see that there is still room for including more women of color. It was not until a few months ago, where I was able to find communities of women of color that were photographers. They are there, just not nearly as visible as they should be.
Honestly, women are positioned for anything we can think to apply ourselves too. It is never an issue of talent, intellect, or professional competence. It is more about welcome seats a the tables. What I particularly love is that in the absence of space for us, we make our own. That, to me, is a better use of our skills.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://shardechapmanphotography.pixieset.com
- Email: sharde.n.chapman@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shardechapman/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shardechapmanphotography
Image Credit:
Models: Rae, Mati, Mary Jo, Justice, Marla, All photos by Sharde’ Chapman
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