Today we’d like to introduce you to Zariah Gross.
Hi Zariah, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Since I was little, I have always loved all things creative; i.e., film, painting, digital media, etc. My love for photography stemmed from always taking pictures of my daughter and wanting higher quality than phone pictures provide. So I went to Best Buy and purchased my first DSLR camera and lens. I watched all the YouTube videos I could on how to master a DSLR, I practiced on my daughter and soon began to branch out and ask close friends, co-workers and their families/significant others to model for me. During this timeframe, I was stationed in Florida, and being that I was born and raised here in San Diego, I didn’t know too many people in Jacksonville. Soon enough, though, I PCS’d back home to San Diego and began to reach out to old friends and family members, asking them to let me practice shooting with them. Once I became more and more comfortable with my camera and posing people, I started building my brand- Stills by Zariah. After months of designing my website, creating my logo, building my portfolio and advertising like crazy, I finally started building clientele. I’m still perfecting and building my business but I am incredibly thankful to everyone who has supported me thus far. I remember the early days where I prayed I’d get to where I am now and I simply could not have done it without past clients, family members and close friends.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The process of growing my business has definitely not been easy. One of the hardest parts for me is finding constant clientele and, being that I am in the Navy, I never have much free time to fully focus on advertising myself but after six great years, I will be transitioning out of the military in May 2021! I’m excited to start this new chapter in life and dedicate myself to investing full-time in my photography career and becoming the successful businesswoman I’ve always dreamed about!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am an outdoor and natural light photographer who specializes in families, maternity and small weddings. I am most proud of how far I’ve come considering I just started the business aspect of photography in August of 2020.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
The biggest risk I’ve taken is choosing to get out of the military after six years and fully focusing, dedicating and investing my time and effort into my photography business. Some may think I’m crazy- to leave a very steady paycheck for something that many view as “just a hobby” and doesn’t have a set income every month. But I believe in this ever-growing business of mine and I have completely fallen in love with meeting all different kinds of people, learning more about their stories and being able to capture genuine and heartfelt memories for clients to cherish forever. Everyone’s story is different, and I’m here to document that.
Pricing:
- Family sessions start at $250
- Maternity sessions start at $200
- Couples sessions start at $200
- Portraits/Senior sessions start at $150
- Weddings/Elopements start at $800
Contact Info:
- Email: zariah.gross@yahoo.com
- Website: https://www.stillsbyzariah.com/
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/stillsbyzariah
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/stillsbyzariah
Image Credits
Picture of myself taken by Haley Simone Photography
