The following essay was written by Bre Johnson, a finalist for the 2018 SuretyBonds.com Small Business Scholarship.

Everbe Photography

My name is Breanna Johnson. I’m an 18 year old high school graduate, currently residing in Snohomish, Washington. My passion for photography began three years ago. My grandpa Bob, who is a photographer, started teaching me about camera functions and the art of photography. I began taking photography classes in high school and creating images of my friends. In my first year of classes I learned about the technical components of the camera and how to adjust settings for optimal performance. By my last year, I had really learned how to capture creative images. As my capability and talent continued to grow, I decided to establish a career in professional photography.

My high school photography teacher remarked that my talent was developing rapidly. She provided many hours of individual mentoring. She guided the development of my skills with the goal of working with clients and establishing my own photography business. For the last three years I have worked as an assistant/intern in the field of professional photography with photographers who have provided mentoring and shared their knowledge. They brought me to their shoots where I was able to practice my skills with working with clients and I was able to learn how to establish relationships and make it feel as if we were friends and not as if they were just paying clients.

Last year I formed my own business, EverBe Photography. My goal is to continue improving my photography skills and expanding my business. I am based in the Seattle area, but spend a great deal of time traveling to different states and contracting to shoot various events, including engagements, weddings, and family portraits. I have created a Facebook page and Instagram account to market my
business.

I graduated from Woodinville high school with a 3.0 GPA in June, 2017. I plan on attending the University of Hawaii, Manoa in Fall, 2018, majoring in Business. I decided to delay attending college for one year, since I had contracts extending for several months and needed time to continue to network and create a portfolio for my business. Now that I have accomplished these goals I plan on continuing to expand my client base by contracting with companies/magazines and eventually establish my own studio. While attending the University of Hawaii I will be really focusing on taking destination wedding photographs and working on my editorial photography. A long term goal is to travel the world contracting with magazines and other agencies to provide images for their advertising and marketing efforts. What I love most about photography is capturing moments in real time and being able to share these moments and going back to see how things once were and how they have changed over time.

Bre will attend the University of Hawaii in the fall, pursuing a degree in business.