Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Hoyt.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Melissa. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’ve always had a fascination for photography since I was a child. I remember having a favorite toy camera that I would carry along with me all the time. I pretended to take pictures whenever I could, and I believe that was the first step towards my passion. Later on in life, I developed a love for pictures, art, photography and just the ability to create things. Although I didn’t own a DSLR camera myself I found myself admiring others photography via social media, museums, etc. It wasn’t until the end of 2017 that I had to pick an elective in college, and to my surprise, photography was available. At that point, I had to buy a camera for class and actually put into practice all that I was being taught. Months later, after discussing with a friend, I decided to take that elective and couple it with my passion and decided to venture out to do photo-shoots to test the water. From there, I was able to strengthen my skills and display my work for others to see. To my surprise, others saw the good quality in my work and began to pay for my services. That’s when it turned from photography into Adjusted Crown Photography.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Absolutely not. The journey to reach where I am in life has been difficult, although it’s yielded beautiful results. Starting anything can be exciting and refreshing, but it will also require lots of dedication, sacrifice, investment, and discipline. Moving from a student that took a photography class to someone that started their own business, it required me to educate myself in order to better myself and produce tangible work. There have been times of sacrifice either to work more to save up for better equipment, a sacrifice of social time in order to watch youtube videos or to edit pictures. There have been moments of uncertainty about whether or not someone will be interested in your service to give you a chance. Many factors came into play, but all of it has helped me to become better at what I do.
I would advise other young women to challenge themselves. Fine their passion, and stick to it no matter how difficult things may become. Definitely educate yourself and be willing to invest in yourself. Yes, it would be nice if everyone was in your corner to support you, but things, unfortunately, don’t always play out that way, so make sure you’re your own biggest cheerleader. And lastly, don’t worry about how long or hard the journey will be, just start walking. One step at a time, one day at a time.
Please tell us about Adjusted Crown Photography.
I am a young Christian, African American woman who is an up in coming photographer in the Boston area, particularly Mattapan. I founded Adjusted Crown Photography in the early part of 2018. I’ve been able to capture awesome moments during a wedding, youth symposium, various church events, portraits, landscaping, etc. I’m most proud of my brand name which speaks to who we are as individuals. There are some photographers that like to capture anything and everything, and that’s fine. My main focus is to capture moments that show people in a better light. The world tries to label us as this negative label or that, but I believe we all are kings and queens in our own right. We are not what the world believes us to be, but we are who God says we are to be and that is royalty. Adjusted Crown is all about a change in mentality and the desire to live our best life.
Often it feels as if the media, by and large, is only focused on the obstacles faced by women, but we feel it’s important to also look for the opportunities. In your view, are there opportunities that you see that women are particularly well positioned for?
I believe women are well positioned to let their voice be heard. Although there are situations that women face without an equal opportunity present, there are more avenues presented to bring about change. For instance, social media is a wonderful tool to use in order to produce change. On this day, women have to be courageous and willing to speak up and step out. Nothing is off the table at this point, and if you can’t see a way to obtain the goal of your choice, then create the way and then others will follow your lead.
Pricing:
- personal photo-shoots is $75
- Event hourly rate is $100
Contact Info:
- Phone: 617-980-2551
- Email: adjusted.crown.photography@gmail.com
- Instagram: @adjusted.crown.photography
- Facebook: adjusted.crown.photography
Image Credit:
adjusted.crown.photography
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