This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Arts & Entertainment

Say Cheese! Samantha Jovan Photography Focuses on the People of Davis

A new, local lifestyle and portrait photographer starts her business in Davis from the ground up.

 

As a child, Samantha would steal her mother’s camera and take pictures of everything she could. Her first camera was a Polaroid because it was cheaper than regular film at the time. She had always considered photography a hobby, but never fully pursued it as a career for fear she would never be as good as the perfectionist in her wanted her to be, and because she could never afford the professional equipment on her own. Years of soul searching, a degree in psychology, and hundreds of Polaroid pictures later, her supportive parents gifted her with her dream photography equipment: a Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR Camera and some L series lenses.

After years of exploring a world of options, Samantha is glad to have finally decided on a career path.

Find out what's happening in Daviswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“I think for the first time I feel alive in what I’m pursuing,” she said. “It’s not that I lacked things to pursue, it’s just that I had so many things to be interested in.”

When taking portraits, Samantha chooses to photograph her clients in their own element, as in their favorite coffee shop or park, over a studio because she feels she can better capture their story. A day or two before the shoot, she will spend some time scouting out the location, and she spends more time afterwards editing and packaging the photographs. All the photographs are delivered on a CD in high resolution because she feels her customers deserve all of their photographs.

Find out what's happening in Daviswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Samantha lives in Davis with her husband who is an organic farmer and, conveniently, her favorite subject to photograph. She also enjoys photographing the friends she has made in Davis who have encouraged her to keep taking pictures. She feels the close community Davis has to offer is a good place for a young business, and the small town has helped inspire her to pursue her passion.

“Davis is a really tight knit community which makes it good for a business that relies on word of mouth,” she said. “I feel really appreciative of the support I have in the community because they saw something in me that I had yet to see in myself.”  

If you want to get in touch with Samantha Jovan Photography, her contact information can be found on her Facebook page.  

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?