Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexandra Chan.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Alexandra. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I have been in business as a photographer for 8 years and was most recently honored as Best Photographer of 2017 for the Portsmouth region. But my background is actually in Archaeology.
I got my Ph.D. from Boston University and taught Anthropology at Vassar College for a number of years, then moved to NH to do private archaeological consulting work.
I’m an international speaker, traveling as far as Hanover, Germany to be the keynote speaker in the inauguration of a new research center there, and I continue to be active locally, too, in public outreach and education about archaeology – public lectures, teachers’ workshops, and the like.
And then in 2007, I wrote a book on the archaeology of slavery in the north (called Slavery in the Age of Reason: Archaeology at a New England Farm), based on my excavations at the Isaac Royall House & Slave Quarters Museum in Medford, MA.
So I’m a scientist, yes, but as an anthropologist, author, and teacher, I tell people that I put down my shovel and picked up a camera, but I’m doing the same thing either way: watching people and telling stories.
I really got started with photography after the recession of 2009. Archaeology work had dried to a trickle and I had this little side talent that I liked to do, and the pressure of trying to find something to help make ends meet gave me the courage to take a personal risk in putting myself out there professionally.
As much fun as I have had with this business, it is amusing to look back at how much I kicked and screamed my way into it. It was just fear, though. Fear of change, fear of failure – whatever that means – fear of rejection. In hindsight, it was actually a great expansion for me.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I always kind of think we are exactly where we need to be, whenever we need to be there, so the way is always “smooth” if you think of it in those terms. But yes, there were times of discomfort along the way.
It was a struggle to start making money – building trust with a broad base of happy clients who would then pass my name to all their friends and colleagues takes time.
Then there was a part of me, too, that was very attached to the decades of work and commitment I had put into reaching a certain level in my career as an archaeologist. In the world of archaeology, people knew my name and my work.
In the world of photography, on the other hand, I was a nobody. Learning to first accept that, and then to embrace it, was an excellent exercise in humility and simply being open and willing to accept life’s various invitations.
Getting Portsmouth Region’s Best Photographer of 2017 this year feels like another culmination in a second career track, and it was extremely gratifying, but even more so was the realization that I didn’t need the outside affirmations anymore.
I am happy to have them, of course – who doesn’t want to feel their work has been validated by the community they are a part of and they strive so hard to serve well? But to realize that I didn’t need outside accolades anymore was pretty wonderful.
Alexandra Chan Photography – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I offer fresh, candid and unique family photos, premier headshots and lifestyle photography for all your business and branding needs.
One of my specialties is to work with solopreneurs and small businesses to tell a story, evoke a mood, and create a need. I help them build or update their personal brand and to connect more naturally and organically with their clients using eye-popping visuals.
What many people don’t realize is that your photos are telling a story about you and your business whether you intend them to or not. I help my clients figure out what that story should be (if they don’t know already), and then make sure that their pictures really capture and communicate the qualities of their company that make them successful in the first place.
No stock photos, just real pictures of the real you, as well as of your products, services and company culture, if that’s what you need, all done in a laid-back style that people can really relax and sink in to. I’m good at helping people “look natural” as well as “look confident” in pictures – even those (and there are many) who say they hate getting their pictures taken.
When I am working with families, I am known for the candor and whimsy I am able to capture. People come to me to see themselves and their families in natural action, and they can feel the emotional difference that makes when they see the results.
I would say my family pictures are characterized by dynamic movement, subtle in-between moments, and beautiful plays of light and color. One of the most common refrains I hear from parents is how their kids “didn’t behave” at the last family shoot. My answer to that is always to let the kids lead. If you do that, there’s almost no such thing as misbehaving at a photo shoot.
Which brings me to the next point…. Do you recognize your kids in your family photos? By which I mean, not “can you pick them out from a line-up?” but, does your heart get squishy when you look at them?
I have a theory that we don’t see the people we love with our eyes as much as we do with our hearts. That’s why pictures often leave so much to be desired. A camera can capture anything you look at. But does it capture what you SEE? If the answer is ever no, then you need to come to me!
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
To me, success means finding yourself able to take action from a place of integrity and love. If the decisions you make are rooted in those two things, you simply can’t go wrong, and abundance of every kind will follow.
The opposite of love, contrary to what one might expect, is not hate or anger; it’s fear. So if things aren’t working out the way you had hoped in something – be it work, relationships, achieving certain goals, etc., it isn’t necessarily because you’re a bad person, or aren’t working hard enough, or don’t deserve it.
It is probably because you are afraid. “Of what” is the inner work we all must to do for ourselves. It may be tough, but it is absolutely necessary in order to clear the way for growth.
Pricing:
- The Solopreneur $299
- Build Your Brand $550
- “Don’t Box Me In” – Make it Custom
- Family Shoots from $225
Contact Info:
- Address: Portsmouth, NH 03801
- Website: www.alexandrachan.com
- Phone: 617-721-5556
- Email: info@alexandrachan.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexkachan/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Alexandra-Chan-Photography-142750485769523/
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
