Today we’d like to introduce you to Raian Natsheh.
Hi Raian, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My sister spent months convincing my mom to buy us a DSLR before our 2013 summer trip to our hometown in Palestine. I was only starting off high school and never thought I had any interest in photography. What initially became my sister’s camera eventually turned into my side business all throughout high school and college. I followed her footsteps in taking yearbook classes in high school which made me love meeting new people through portrait and sports photography. Once I started attending UCF, I found myself surrounded by a lot of graduates, newly engaged couples, and families. This geared my business toward graduation and lifestyle photography which I now absolutely love.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Just like any other kind of art, photography is an endless learning experience. I can never say I will fully know everything about photography. There’s so much more to it than learning how to tinker with camera settings. Running a photography business is not only showing up and taking pictures, but also communicating with clients before and after the shoot, locating new photoshoot spots, and most importantly, hours and hours of editing. I never thought I would feel the need to take my laptop everywhere I go. Now, I find myself editing pictures on planes, in the car, and even on vacation.
Ever since I started my photography career, I have always had to juggle college and a part-time job alongside it. I am now shifting my focus to my photography business as that is where my passion lies. This means having less time to spend on other pursuits such as finishing my master’s degree in Health Services Administration. Choosing to spend more of my energy on photography was a difficult yet rewarding decision. I love the fact I can choose my own schedule and capture other people’s happiness, and I can’t imagine myself doing less of it.
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?
Everyone has their own unique experiences in their accomplishments and relationships, and I try my absolute best to portray their story through my lens in the short time we have together. When I put myself in the shoes of the person I’m photographing, I feel there can never be too many photographs I want to be captured. For me personally, there are so many moments that I know I would have forgotten if there wasn’t a photograph to remind me. When I am hired as a photographer, I make sure to get everything I possibly can within the four corners of each picture. This is the reason I do not set a photo limit as well. I can’t imagine limiting someone’s special day to only 75 or 100 photographs. I’ll use up all the SD cards in the world to capture every beautiful moment for my client.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
The Orlando Muslim community has played a significant role in the success of my photography business. Through mostly word of mouth, new clients were able to find me when they needed a photographer to capture a special event. Without this connected community, I would not have been able to meet a huge number of clients.
Additionally, photography has kept me in touch with long-time high school and college friends who I photographed multiple times over the years. They’ve always believed in my work, and I love being reunited with them to photograph new milestones such as engagements, pregnancies, and their children’s birthdays.
But I’d have to say my family has definitely been my biggest supporter since I started my career. My mother and father always encouraged me to take every opportunity to grow and gain experience. My sister was not only the person who introduced me to photography but has been the one person who’s never left my side since. I’m thankful to have the person I’ve always looked up to guiding me through yet another journey. I was gifted a DJI drone by my brother which has already changed my business in a whole new light. I had always wanted to take short videos and aerial photographs and now it’s been my favorite thing to bring along to couples and family shoots. My family continuously believes in my work and saw my potential before I even knew it myself, and I truly feel that I could have never been the photographer I am today without them.
Contact Info:
- Email: shotbyraian@gmail.com
- Website: www.shotbyraian.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shotbyraian/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shotbyraian
