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

Hi Shannon, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?
I credit a lot of my success not only as a photographer but as a business owner to a few key things: a keen interest in continuing to improve my skills as a photographer, a willingness to learn and manage the business aspects such as accounting, marketing, networking, etc, the flexibility to adapt with changing trends and economic climates, and knowing when to ask for help.

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’m so fortunate to have a lot of interests that have allowed me to have a career that I love for over 20 years (and counting!) One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that learning to adapt to a changing marketplace is critical. I started off, like many photographers, in the wedding industry. Since then, I’ve branched out into other areas such as commercial brand photography, large conference & trade show photography, luxury real estate photography, studio work, etc. By serving a broad range of clients, I never get bored and have a steady stream of revenue while getting to do something I love! I recently founded BELLETTIcreative, a boutique agency catering to small businesses who need help marketing & growing their own businesses. I enjoy sharing some of the things I’ve learned over the years with others just getting started.

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?
Atlanta definitely has something for everybody! We’d definitely want to visit some of the top attractions like the Coca-Cola Museum and the Georgia Aquarium, but I’d also want to show off some of my favorite photo locations that I frequent: Swan House at the Atlanta History Center, Piedmont Park, Stone Mountain, Centennial Olympic Park, Ponce City Market, Jackson Street Bridge, Little Five Points and the Beltline. The food & drink options here are unlimited, but I’d definitely want to spend a day (or more) visiting some of the wineries within a quick drive of the city: Nutwood Winery in LaGrange is a new favorite, but I’m also a regular visitor to Wolf Mountain Vineyards in Dahlonega.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My parents were a strong source of encouragement and advice all the way through my childhood and that continues to this day. They instilled in me a desire to set & achieve goals, whatever they may be, and they never pushed me into a specific career path but let me discover the things that made me happiest. They taught me that success comes in many forms, not just a job title or bank balance, yet by pursuing a career doing something I love those things have come anyway.

Website: http://www.bellettiphotography.com
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/BellettiPhotography
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/belletti
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BellettiPhotography
Other: http://www.BELLETTIcreative.com

Image Credits
Belletti Photography

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