Meet Olivia Hood | Photographer & Business Woman

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

Hi Olivia, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I have always held an interest in photography ever since I was a kid. As I grew up, I took pictures with whatever I could, a disposable, point and shoot, and even iPods/iPhones. Though I held an interest I never thought to pursue it professionally. I went to college for Business Administration and basically expected to work in an office for my job. In 2017, I randomly entered an Instagram Giveaway. Someone I didn’t know tagged me in the comments for their entry, and I thought “Why not”, and ended up winning! The Giveaway item was a Canon 70D DSLR with a kit lens. Once I got the camera, I started using it some here and there until 2019 when I decided to really start learning my camera, its settings, and taking it to the next level. At that point, I felt like winning that camera was a sign that I should start my own business! Since I already had a background in business, I felt like I was already halfway there, and just needed to master my settings and get some photography experience in!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
One of the main things that I believe sets me a part from others is that I don’t necessarily have a photography niche. I love to photograph almost anything; portraits, landscapes, theme parks, nature, urban, street style, weddings, cars, animals/wildlife, concerts. You name it, I would love to photograph it. Like most things, the journey of where I am today came with it’s challenges, and I would argue that I still have much room to grow and many challenges to face. I had to remind myself that I won my camera for a reason, and I needed to just keep going. I still have to remind myself of that sometimes. I think that’s what I’m most proud of, that I never gave up and kept going even when it felt challenging, overwhelming, or I was doubting myself. There’s many lessons to learn along the way of running any business. The most important lessons I feel I have learned are to put your best foot forward, learn from your mistakes, and know that you can’t please everyone.

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?
Oh gosh, there are so many great things to do in Atlanta. I am a huge fan of Midtown and West Midtown, and both areas have developed so much just over the last few years! Piedmont Park, the Botanical Garden & Colony Square are two areas of interest in Midtown. Colony Square has completed revamped and they have restaurants and a movie theater! There is also the Beltline with lots of good restaurants like New Realm Brewing Co and attractions like Ponce City Market. With that being said, I am also a huge fan of breweries like Sweetwater Brewing, Monday Night Brewing, & Pour Taproom, to name a few. There are a lot of attractions on the Westside such as the Works, Westside Provisions District, Puttshack, The Painted Pin, and Slingshot Social to name a few. Some restaurants I would recommend are Roasters, Cypress Street Pint & Plate, Eight Sushi Lounge, Verde Taqueria, Superica, Maggianos, Emmy Squared Pizza, and Mellow Mushroom, If it isn’t clear. I love ATL!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to thank my fiancé Matthew for always supporting me and encouraging me! I would also like to thank my mother who supported me and helped pay for some of the classes I took to learn my camera and its settings. Atlanta School of photography is another one. Their classes helped push me to the next level and gave me the knowledge I needed to really shape who I am as a photographer. I also thank my friends Shelby & Tyler who have mentored me and helped me along my path, especially in the beginning.

Website: https://oliviabehindthecamera.mypixieset.com/

Instagram: oliviabehindthecamera