Today we’d like to introduce you to Jovani Rosborough.
Jovani, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Well, I’ve been behind a camera for what now seems like, most of my life now. Videography was a skill I started to pick up back in middle school when I took a chance on an elective class (after not getting into my first choice lol) and I continued to foster that skill and growing passion by taking media production classes in high school, and finally going to Boston University for my degree in film and television. How I got into becoming a wedding photographer specifically thought was a little different. I had a friend who was engaged and really want a video of her wedding. She didn’t really have the means to get a professional, so she asked me if I’d be willing to with my camera. I was SO excited to do it, and so of course I agreed and that’s how I slowly became the wedding videographer for my little circle of friends and at my local church. I had a good bit of exposure to shooting and learning how to work with people!
And as I began to do that my aspirations grew and I really had a desire to expand my talent of capturing people’s love stories and so I branched into photography! I had amazing friends who let me develop my craft on them, and do photo shoots and I watched as I was able to work hard and really build my skillset from the ground up! Through much support from friends, family, and especially my husband (who thinks everything I create is amazing haha) I finally got the courage to put myself out there into the public domain and so far I’ve been so encouraged by the feedback of not only my art but my business as well!
And so in the span of this year I’ve gone from being a woman working at a regular 9-5 job, too afraid to pursue what I love, to have a flourishing photography business that I can honestly say has been built with so much sweat and even a few tears. I’m so grateful for all of my peers, friends, and colleagues who have helped lift me up along the way.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Trying to build my business has definitely come with many challenges! I think some of the biggest ones being, learning that it’s not only just about being a good photographer and taking pictures, but it is key to be a woman who is able to wear many hats in order to build something that actually lasts. It’s one thing to have creative talent and that artistic eye, but it’s also about hard work. Being willing to learn about all of the other areas, and the humility to seek knowledge and possibly mentorship if these are skills you don’t already possess.
Naturally, as a person, I generally feel awkward around people sometimes, but I’ve had to become a pro at customer service, networking, learning how to gel with clients in order to meet their needs and make them feel comfortable in front of the camera! I’ve also had to learn about literally everything from web page design, to creating marketing materials, advertisement techniques…etc (which are areas that are completely foreign to me) in order to propel Dream A Little Big forward.
Also, my other biggest challenge has been learning how to balance pursuing all of these things while working full time already! My husband is currently in school (with one year left to go) and I currently work at a law firm downtown. I’ve had to learn how to balance my job, my passion, marriage, personal life, and faith so that none of these areas fall through the cracks because they are all so important to me and necessary to maintain.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Dream A Little Big Photography – what should we know?
Dream A Little Big Photography is a company of wedding photographers and videographers! We specialize in capturing love stories! While we do offer regular photography services, we mainly shoot for weddings, engagements, couples… pretty much any and all things love related! We are known for our unique style of photography editing! I don’t believe in just taking good pictures or video but we believe in creating art, and capturing genuine moments that make you feel.
I’m most proud of how our company has expanded from just me to quite an awesome team of talented people! I have an amazing associate shooter named Janah Dawson who tag teams almost every project with me! My assistant shooter John Varkados from the local production company GFD Productions LLC assists in the video department, and together we are able to offer both video and photo to our couples which is super unique! Most people either specialize in one or the other unless they are a huge studio or something. But I personally am able to go between heading up the photo and the video… I actually did both the photo and video for a wedding once… in a strange turn of events (There was an injured photographer) which I’m not sure, many people can say they do.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
To be honest I think the biggest characteristic that’s important is just humility! Humility will allow you to learn from others to obtain the skills and experience you need, it will allow you to serve your clients and put their needs above your own, which then leads to them loving your work (artistic ability aside) because they feel like you met their needs.
To be honest, in most of the feedback from my customers, more than my work the thing that people said they valued the most was the way we as photographers and videographers made them feel on their special day, and how we communicated with them throughout the process!
If you have the humility to work learn, work hard and meet the needs of people I believe you can build any business from the ground up.
Pricing:
- Wedding Photography packages are in the 1k-2k range
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dreamalittlebig.com
- Phone: (240) 593-2969
- Email: dreamalittlebigphoto@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dreamalittlebigphotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DreamALittleBigPhotography/
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