Welcome! We can’t flippin’ wait to tell you about us and why we even decided to create The Photo Scene.
We are Josie and Vania, two passionate creatives and entrepreneurs, filled to the brim with valuable insider knowledge we’re excited to share with you!
So, without further ado let’s get to the introductions:
I am Josie and I’ve been an artist since birth. As far back as I can remember, I don’t think I ever went a day without creating something. It all started with drawing as a kid. In my teens, I became passionate about poetry and entered several contests where I submitted my own, original poems. I signed up for college and studied graphic design, but the structure of it just wasn’t for me. I scaled back and only continued taking my free scholarship art classes. My relationship with formal schooling soon came to an end when I quit and started working the dreaded 9 to 5.
Many moons later I became pregnant with my first child and, in that time, started learning about photo editing.
One Christmas, my hubby bought me my first DSLR and I haven’t been able to put it down since. You could say it was love at first click.
I made 60K in my first full year working as a couples/wedding photographer and this past year, I grazed the 90k mark.
I’m beyond passionate about the work I do and that’s why I’m so grateful for this opportunity to share my knowledge and experience with aspiring and seasoned photographers hoping to learn more about the industry.
Hi! I’m Vania and just like Josie, I have a creative spirit and entrepreneurial drive. I officially started my photography business in 2012, but it took some time before I found my calling.
I started out my creative journey with acting, drawing, writing, and singing. At one point I thought I wanted to be an Opera singer, but my fear of singing in front of people wasn’t doing me any favors so, I stuck with acting.
And then there was the time I toyed with the idea of becoming a dental hygienist when I was afraid my photography business wouldn’t take off. But that’s a story for another day.
Shortly after graduating high school, I moved to LA with $100 to my name, a bag of clothes and an old film camera. I worked as an actress but kept feeling that I was meant to express myself through creation.
What I enjoyed the most was designing and setting up photo shoots with friends, giving direction from behind the camera rather than taking it.
I took this as a sign to reevaluate the direction my life was taking. I went back home to Phoenix, AZ and decided to take some college courses in media, digital imaging, and film photography. I landed my first gig working for a commercial photographer. I was mentored by a fashion photographer and a fine art one, both of which helped me immensely in my photography journey. Over the years I dabbled in just about every niche there is, but my true love lies within the fashion/editorial niche. Now I work with conscious driven creatives and flourishing photographers looking for guidance in their own journeys.
I eventually moved to Florida with my now husband and went on to have 3 vivacious boys!
My favorite quote is: “Don’t let your music die inside you.” by the great Dr. Wayne Dyer.
How we met:
We’d both been working with a mutual model and she suggested we meet since she thought we were strikingly similar to each other. So, naturally, we had to meet!
By mid-2014 we were working on several creative projects together. We were featured artists for an art show where we did a live fashion shoot. We collaborated on an editorial styled wedding shoot and were featured on the Grace Ormond Wedding guide.
We kept in touch and our friendship grew. It wasn’t always easy and there were times we even considered quitting. But we’ve been able to encourage and push each other to believe in ourselves and our dreams.
How TPS was born:
Around mid-2020, Vania approached me (Josie) with this idea of educating aspiring photographers and it was a no brainer for me! It just felt so right, like this was the next step we were meant to take in our journey.
So how did we come up with the name? OMG it was tough, not gonna lie!
We had a laundry list of names, but The Photo Scene stuck because it resonated the most with what we’re about. We aim to create a community where you can feel SAFE!
We held our first workshop in September 2020, and it was so much fun! We had six students and felt so proud that our new venture was taking off.
Which brings us to now; we’ve been hard at work putting educational materials together so we can pass all the lessons we’ve learned onto you.
Are you ready to take a ride?