Meet Presley Dale | Portrait Photographer

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

Hi Presley, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I was ten when my parents got me my first camera, the camera that I used up until the fall of 2019 when I finally upgraded! I was content taking pictures of my younger siblings for a couple of years, but when I was 12, I decided that I wanted to start taking pictures of other people. Middle school me poured through blog articles, Youtube videos, and library books trying to learn as much as I could about photography and starting my own business. I was a very independent and driven kid, and the thought of having my own business where I could capture memories for people other than my own family was exciting to me! The more I got into it, the more I fell in love with capturing the smiles and personalities of other people and just never stopped!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I love real details, raw emotions, and all of the candid in between moments. I’m more direction-oriented rather than pose-oriented, and I am committed to making my clients feel as relaxed and stress-free as possible! I am most proud of the effort I have put in over the last year or two to really improving my photography as a whole – I have always had a good artistic eye, but I have really focused on the technical elements of photography in order to make my photography better! I have gotten where I am today because of wonderful family friends who PAID a 13 year old girl no small amount of money to take their family Christmas card photos . . . I am forever in their debt. They gave me the experience I needed to develop my skills and build a portfolio! I’ve learned the importance of consistent over communication with clients, how to make little kids laugh even when they are not a fan of having a camera in their face, and how to make people’s personalities shine through. I want the world to know that I am passionate about capturing the in between moments that show off each person’s personalities, not just the posed, smiling must haves.

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.
Currently, I am living in Athens and attending the University of Georgia. If I had a friend in town, I would take them to Pauley’s to get crepes in the morning, go get coffee from Jittery Joes and walk around downtown to shop in some of the local boutiques, take them to Sanford Stadium, picnic on North Campus, take a walk on the North Oconee Greenway, and get dinner at Mellow Mushroom! I am still fairly new to the area myself so I’m still trying to learn all of my favorite spots, but those are a few of my favorites so far!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My parents have always encouraged my fairly ambitious ideas from a young age, and when I declared that I wanted to start a photography business, they didn’t blink twice! They have supported my endeavors financially through helping me purchase some of my equipment, physically by driving me to shoots before I could drive myself, and emotionally by always encouraging me to follow my passions and do what makes me happy. I wouldn’t be where I am today without them! I also can’t go without giving credit to Jesus – He is the one who blessed me with the talent and passion for photography, and nothing I do would be possible without His grace!

Website: www.presleygracephotography.com
Instagram: @presleygracephotography
Facebook: @presleygracephotography
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/presley-grace-photography-buford

Image Credits
Photo of Presley Dale taken by Kristen Elise Photography, all others by Presley Grace Photography