Meet Harrison Simons | Studio Photographer

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

Hi Harrison, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I chose an artistic career because I am natural born storyteller. Storytelling is how I connect with the world. I thrive on the pressure that comes with being entrusted with someone’s vision, and I find real satisfaction in exceeding what they hoped for and imagined. I explored other career paths when I was younger, but photography was the only one that truly made sense to me. I was called to be a photographer and I feel I can genuinely help people by using my talents. When you help others, you also help yourself.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My photography career began with a love for album artwork. At an early age, I was obsessed with collecting CDs. I loved all of the details and hidden meanings. I felt the raw emotional power that these covers held. I was amazed at how one image could not only define an entire body of music but become a generational icon. As I grew older, I became a musician. In college, I started taking taking photos to represent my music. Soon enough, I was photographing album covers for many other bands that shared my aesthetics. I taught myself how to really push my camera to the limits by documenting live performances and studio sessions. Inspired by what I was doing, I switched my degree from English to a BA in Art. After graduation, I continued photography and music but had to work other jobs I wasn’t passionate about to make ends meet. I spent most of my 20’s sleeping on couches and working in kitchens but I kept grinding. During covid I lost most of my photography jobs and started working in sales. After my wife and I got married, she encouraged (and begged me) to quit the sales job and find something creative. I applied to hundreds of jobs but didn’t have any luck. 4 months later, after I had almost given up, I got an interview to be a photo retoucher for the summer at Picture Perfect. David the owner, told me he wanted to retire and ask if I wanted to train to take over the studio. I jumped on that offer as quick as I could. I drove almost an hour through traffic to work every day but I couldn’t have been happier. It took a lot of planning but Rachel and I were finally able to purchase the studio in January. Through this journey, I learned that as long as you work as hard you can, you will end up where you were meant to be.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friends were visiting, I would take them to my favorite restaurants. We would go to Argosy in East Atlanta Village, Good Kitchen in Marrietta, Cristy’s in Roswell, Ginya Izakaya in Midtown, Kaya in Roswell, and Citizen Soul in Alpharetta. I would take them hiking on Kennesaw Mountain, mountain biking at Rope Mill Park, and we would play pickleball at Harrison Park. We’d go walking on the Beltline and visit the Piedmont Dog Park. If they hadn’t been, we would go to the aquarium and the High Muesem of Art. I would see who is performing at the Fox, Underground Atlanta, or Alpharetta Amp. We would go to open mic at the Laughing Skull. We would end many nights in east Atlanta at the Earl or Flat Iron.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My wife, Rachel, has been the driving force behind most of my success. Whatever I lack, she makes up. She holds me accountable to my own standards and makes me want to set higher goals. It’s been a long road to open this business and she has been patiently stepping beside me. We are excited to enter this chapter of our lives and I am glad I can share this with her. Rachel, thank you for being my guiding light.
I would also like to thank David and Denise Huntley. They have been my photography/ business mentors, pickleball partners, and good friends. The Huntley’s owned Picture Perfect for 33 years. They hired me as an apprentice almost 3 years ago and in January, Rachel and I purchased the studio. In the last 3 years, they have taught me everything from a 3rd shot drop to organizing a 300-person class photo. I am incredibly grateful.
Finally, I would like to give a shoutout to my family. I am 1 of 10 children. They have been an emotional and often financial safety net for a lot of my career. I am happy to finally pay them back for all of their support and love.

Website: https://www.pictureperfectatl.com

Instagram: picture_perfect_atlanta_

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569910300874

Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1p5gT0DXyKlOOmD2I1HM8D

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