Life & Work with Sharon Hong

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sharon Hong.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I am Sharon Hong, a San Diego based husband & wife wedding photography duo with my husband James. We are Humble Grounds Photography!

I have always been the person who loved to take photos of everything. Ever since I can remember, I started using the disposable film cameras in elementary school, upgraded to digital cameras in middle school, then to phone cameras. And once I graduated from college, James gifted me with my first DSLR camera. We both have since upgraded to using our mirrorless cameras which we love!

I started photography as a hobby, realized I wasn’t great at it, and so I thought it probably could never be a full time real career for me. I also would ask other hobby photographers if they thought it would be possible to make a living capturing photos people would love, and they said nope. So I just kept taking photos to document my own memories and for fun with my friends.

When we were starting to plan our wedding for 2019, I became obsessed with all things weddings, engagements, & love! I was all over Instagram & Pinterest for inspo photos for our special day, falling in love with all of the details and beauty of the intimate moments. From then, I wanted to pursue photography professionally, but first as part time. James supported my creative dreams & told me to go for it full time, but I wasn’t ready to take that leap financially and wasn’t comfortable with where I was at skill-wise.

I decided to start learning through YouTube videos and online courses, gathering resources to see what I needed to know. It was super overwhelming in the beginning, and I kept doubting myself. I also did not have the time and energy to pursue photography as much as I wanted to because of my full time job, that I didn’t really enjoy. James told me I should just do photography full time and encouraged me to do what I would love. I stuck it out at my full time job, until one day there was a blessing in disguise. I got laid off. This was my chance to really focus and give it my all. It was only possible because of James’s support, friends who were willing to let me use them as models, new opportunities, and being introduced to a community of creatives and wedding vendors through styled shoots that really kick-started my journey.

Today, I am living the dream getting to work with laid back couples who want their love to be captured the way I photograph and edit! It’s wild! And James is my partner in getting to document these memories for these wonderful couples!

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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?
There were definitely some struggles along the way! I thought it would be all fun all the time, taking photos and editing in the creative vision I enjoy. However, there is comparison and doubt that creep in when looking for inspo or just being on social media. But I always have to remind myself that it’s community over competition, cheer on your fellow creatives! It also gives me a chance to adapt and learn from others as well. I would say I am always tweaking my style with every photo session or wedding and learning from other creatives. I also didn’t realize the whole business and behind-the-scenes aspect of photography, which was a big learning curve for me, but thankfully James was able to work with me to navigate it together.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a photographer who specializes in wedding, elopements, engagement, and couples photography. I am most proud of the way we strive to be personable with our couples and how we’ve come to develop the style that we have for our photos. I would say that we do our best to get to know our couples, have good communication, and plan in detail with our couples who may not have been exposed to specific wedding details yet, since they most likely haven’t planned a wedding before!

Contact Info:

• Email: humblegroundsphotography@gmail.com
• Website: humblegroundsphotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/humblegroundsphotography

Image Credits:
Humble Grounds Photography