Today we’d like to introduce you to Savanna Wells.
Hi Savanna, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Hi! I’m Savanna. Sav to most, wife to Boston, mama to Zoe-Belle & Shepherd. I was born and raised here in San Diego, moved to the Pacific Northwest for a bit, and settled back down here. Life has been a rollercoaster of mountains and valleys, but I’m blessed to be where I am today-settled into my own little photography business. It started as a hobby in high school, learning the ways of film photography, the exposure triangle, rule of thirds, developing film, all that fun stuff. I didn’t take it on seriously as a career until much later in my 20s when I needed something more flexible so I could prioritize time with my children, and something I felt passionate about. And thus I was drawn to break out of my photography hobby, and make it into something more! It’s a polarizing concept, but I wanted to provide affordable sessions that weren’t mutually exclusive with quality product. I saw that the market was saturated with high end, high budget photographers, and I wanted to accommodate those that have not had access to professionally captured memories, simply because they couldn’t afford high rates. I’ve been blessed and amazed at the opportunity to serve military families, single mothers, families on fixed income, overall hardworking members of the community by capturing their beautiful stories on camera!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Life has not always been a smooth road, and that’s part of what led me to this business. Some of the valleys include my daughter being born with a hole in her heart, and needing open heart surgery at 1 year old. This was a traumatizing time as she lost consciousness while in my arms until we knew what was going on, and we spent many many nights in hospitals. This coupled with her extreme asthmatic reaction to viruses, and helping her navigate neurodivergency in a world made for nuerotypicals, I knew I needed the flexibility to prioritize advocating and being there for her. Photography has made me rich, not in the way usually praised. My life is full in that I can prioritize being present with my children when the road does gets bumpy, while serving those in my community and supporting my family.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in Maternity, Family, Couples, and Newborn photography. I seek to organically capture the best in these fleeting moments in time, so my clients can have timeless memories of the most important thing, the ones they love most. Life moves so fast, but I believe photography gives us a beautiful standstill that lives on. I’m most proud of building real relationships and connections with the people I come across doing this. I don’t view clients as a dollar to be made, but as real people I have the privilege to get to know and serve. I consider many clients friends, and their children have become my little nieces and nephews.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I did take a community college class on business entrepreneurship before beginning taking on clients. I learned a lot about marketing, and creating a corner of the market for myself based on my values and vision. Word of mouth has been the best networking tool for me! I greatly appreciate every referral and reference given about me as it has helped me expand and help others better than I could ever do by myself.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoebean_photo/
Image Credits
Zoe Bean Photography
