Today we’d like to introduce you to Gracie Spangler.
Hi Gracie, 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 backstories with our readers?
I started photography when I was seven or eight carrying around an old Canon camera to my brother’s baseball games. Fast forward to when I was 16 taking pictures of him playing baseball never stopped and from there, more and more people asked me to take their photos. In 2018 at 16 years old I took the plunge and started Photos By Gracie Jo. Photography has always been my thing. It was never a phase for me. I have photographed anything and everything I could, from sports to horses to portraits. Fast forward to today, I recently moved my business to Mt. Pleasant and am going to school majoring in Photojournalism.
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?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. Starting so young I had a lot of highs and lows to learn from. I learned early on how hard it is to be taken seriously in this world. Some people would hear my age and wonder if I had the experience, but now that isn’t really an issue, I let my work speak for itself.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Now, I specialize in couples and senior portraits. I work a lot with natural light and golden hours. I travel all over to find the best locations to shoot at. I would say I’m known for how I work with lighting and my golden hour photoshoots.
I am most proud of running a successful business at 20 years old and all the times I have been published. Until going to college, everything I have done with photography has been self-taught, that is something I’ve always taken pride in. Starting off as a hobby and turning it into a career wasn’t always easy but has definitely been worth it. My photography is always evolving and changing and I’m proud of that.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I think the vintage or film look for photography is going to be coming back in style. Film and flash photography are starting to make a comeback and I love it. I think in the next 5-10 years candid and relaxed photography is going to be more popular than posed, traditional photos.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.photosbygraciejo.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/photosbygraciejo/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/photosbygraciejo
