Today we’d like to introduce you to Deaune Boyd.
Hi Deaune, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Honestly, I don’t think there was one specific moment that made me want to become a photographer. I’ve been obsessed with pictures for as long as I can remember.
My dad has been taking pictures of me since I came out of the womb, and he still takes pictures of me to this day. My mom was also really intentional about preserving memories too. She had all these Polaroids and photos from when she was a teenager, through her twenties all the way into her early forties. I remember being little and noticing that she had eventually stopped keeping up with it, and I thought, “I want to start my own scrapbook.”
I actually started one when I was probably six or seven. I definitely didn’t keep up with it, but I think that was the beginning of my love for capturing memories. I’ve always loved the idea that you can freeze a moment in time and, years later, still have something tangible that takes you right back to that exact moment.
It wasn’t until high school, though, that I started exploring photography more seriously. I would do little shoots with my sister, mostly for fun and for Instagram, back when Instagram was first becoming a thing. I also took classes in digital media arts, Photoshop, video storytelling, and photojournalism. That’s when I started realizing that photography could actually be something I wanted to pursue.
By the time I graduated, I knew I wanted to take it seriously. When I told my dad I wanted to do photography full time, he basically told me to prove to him that it wasn’t going to just be a hobby. So, for the last six years, that’s exactly what I’ve been doing.
During those six years, I’ve worked with different photography companies and gained experience in almost every area of photography you can think of. Photographing everything from sports, school photography to weddings and events. These those experiences allowed me to build my craft, learn different sides of the industry, and grow my network while continuing to build my own business.
And all the while, I’ve been building my own brand and creating my own opportunities. Just to name a few, through my photography business I’ve had the opportunity to work with SD Melanin, Black San Diego, SOCAL Barter, Black Flea Market, and other local brands/organizations. I’ve also had opportunities to photograph models, actresses, up and coming artists, and celebrities, work behind the scenes on music video sets, and help creative direct photography events that I host and photograph myself.
Six years later, I’m still doing it. I work full time outside of photography, but photography is still something I pursue full time as well. It’s something I’ve continued to build alongside everything else, and I’m excited to see where I can take it next.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Oh my gosh, heck no. In the beginning, one of my biggest struggles was figuring out what my style actually was. And I mean that in two different ways. I didn’t know what my editing style was, and I didn’t know who I wanted my target audience to be.
I was marketing myself to photograph literally everything. Couples, toddlers, maternity, sorority portraits, family portraits. If somebody wanted pictures, I was like, “Yep, I do that.” And because I was trying to do everything, I spread myself so thin that I wasn’t really giving people a reason to recognize my work or choose me over another photographer.
I also realized that even though I enjoyed photography, a lot of the work I was doing didn’t necessarily feel like me. I was being booked for what other people wanted, rather than creating the kind of work I actually wanted to be known for.
That really started to change when I put on my first photography event. It was a Valentine’s portrait event specifically for women, and I photographed about five women that day. What made it different was that I was able to control the entire creative process. I helped plan their outfits, picked the location, and chose references for their vision boards based on their individual personalities, their style, and even how they naturally liked to pose.
That was the first time I really thought, “Okay, yeah. When I’m able to plan, create, and execute the entire vision, this is where I really shine.”
From there, I started creating more of my own concepts, and that’s really when things started to click for me. I realized that I’m really good at bringing an idea to life from beginning to end. I love the creative process, whether that means coming up with the concept, choosing the model, planning the looks, finding the location, creating the vision, and then actually executing it through photography.
That’s really where I am now. I’ve gone from trying to figure out what kind of photographer I wanted to be to really knowing my style, what I enjoy creating, and what I want my work to feel like. I feel like once I found my style, everything started making a lot more sense.
I think one of the biggest things I had to learn was that I could still photograph different types of clients while being intentional about creating the kind of work I truly wanted to be known for. I didn’t have to stop doing everything else. I just had to start making more room for the work that actually felt like me.
And once I gave myself permission to do that, I really started to find my style and my niche. Now I feel like I can still take on different types of photography, but people also have a clear idea of what I bring to the table and what makes my work mine.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a portrait photographer who specializes in creative concepts and individual portraits. One of the things I’m most proud of is creating The Shoot, a monthly photography experience created by women, for women. Photography can be very male dominated industry, and I wanted to create a space where women could feel comfortable, confident, and creatively free in front of the camera. I wanted women to have a space where they could truly be themselves and feel supported throughout the creative process. I’m still building it, but I’ve already hosted The Shoot in both San Diego and LA, and I’m really excited about where I see it going.
What sets me apart is that I’m really intentional about the experience I create. A photo shoot is never just a photo shoot to me. I want to get to know the person I’m photographing, understand their personality and what they want to express, and create something that feels authentic to them. I’ve also been on both sides of the camera, so I understand what it feels like to be the person being photographed, and I think that helps me connect with people and make them feel more comfortable in front of my lens.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I think the two qualities that are most important to my success are quality and genuine service. I always want to make sure I’m producing quality work that my clients are truly proud of, while also giving them an experience that feels personal and authentic.
I really want my clients to feel like I care about more than just getting the shot. I care about their experience, how they feel in front of the camera, and making sure they feel comfortable and confident throughout the process. I think that genuine connection with the people I work with is a big part of what keeps me motivated and helps me continue growing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.elysianvisions.co
- Instagram: @elysianvisions.co
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elysianvisions.co
