Meet Samantha Minugh | Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Samantha Minugh and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Samantha, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
It sounds cliché but I’ve enjoyed taking photos since I was little. My grandfather did personal photography for family events, and my mom was a retail studio photographer for part of my childhood so the camera was something I was familiar with. When I was 14 or 15 I started taking photos for a local cooking class, mostly food photography. Then I started volunteering at my church doing photography for events and services. I started my business when I was 15 when friends and parents of kids I babysat started asking for me to take photos for them. My first ever paid job was an engagement session for one of my youth leaders. I am 20 years old now, I do everything from weddings to family photos to creative work with makeup artists and cosplayers.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I love to capture real moments. Candid photography is my favorite thing. My motto from the beginning is, a photo can say a thousand words, make them honest. I like studio photography, and I like staged photography but my favorite photos have always been the ones where it was captured and the client didn’t necessarily know it. Someone laughing during a headshot or senior session, a mom and her baby having a sweet moment together, a husband admiring his wife’s smile. These are my favorite photos.

I think the biggest lesson I have had to learn, and constantly remind myself of, is not to compare myself to others in my field. Photography is an art and no two artists have the same style. One of my biggest struggles is comparing my work to someone else’s and fighting the feelings of inadequacy. I have had to learn that I can have my own style and it’s okay if not everyone likes that style. The biggest thing I would tell younger me is to never be afraid to learn from other creatives, but never feel like you’re not as good because your style is different then theirs.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Anyone who knows me, knows I love coffee. It’s a slight addiction for me. Obviously, I would take my friend to a local coffee shot called Queen Bee Coffee. They have a really fun and cute atmosphere, an out door area, and an overall great local feeling to it. Not to mention the amazing coffee and food.

I would also want to take them to Ponce City in Atlanta. It’s one of my favorite locations and it has fun photo spots, which we would definitely be taking cute photos.

At some point we would need to go get boba. It’s one of my food groups, I’ve had it twice this week a lone. My favorite place to go is called Boba Lubu in Stockbridge. They have great customer service, a ton of great flavors, and they’ve recently started selling a local artists artwork!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I definitely accredit a lot of me realizing my talent to my old church, Avalon. I started serving as a photographer there and began learning more about my camera and techniques. I am so grateful to the clients who have trusted me with capturing their special moments and the people who helped me learn and taught me along the way.

I would also like to mention my best friend, Mary Susan, who from the start has encouraged me. She’s been the one who I send my galleries to before the clients for proof viewing and she and her, now husband, were one of my first engagement shoots! She’s my makeshift assistant on shoots and one of my number 1 supporters.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eyeofsamphotography/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EyeofSamPhotography

Image Credits
Personal Photo was taken by Claire Waggoner with clairewaggophotography