Meet Comfort

We had the good fortune of connecting with Comfort and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Comfort, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
When I started my business, I was fresh out of college and not sure of what direction I wanted to go. I graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in Psychology. I then had a plan to go to graduate school to become a 3rd grade teacher. But the idea of working for someone else and the idea of my future children being at daycare while I taught other people’s children didn’t sit right with me. When thinking about my future, I just wanted freedom and flexibility, So I began to think of all of the things I enjoyed doing, and photography was on the list. I wanted to find a career that I enjoyed, could make a decent living doing, and allow me the flexibility to live a life outside of just working.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The majority of my work consists of wedding photography, but over the last several years I have also focused a lot on brand photography for other business owners. I also photograph high school seniors and college graduates, families, children, corporate events, and the occasional newborn. Basically, I photograph people! My approach and my goal for any type of session is the same though: to create timeless, vibrant, authentic, clean images that capture the spirit of my clients and their events. I shy away from photography trends and focus on capturing real smiles and genuine emotions, with realistic color and good lighting. That will never go out of style.

Life, in general, has its’ obstacles, and my business definitely had its’ share. It took a few years for me to even be profitable, which was fine because the first 4 years of business I worked a full-time job. That was an obstacle in itself, and I jokingly referred to my business as my night job for years. The main reason I started my business was because I knew when I had children, I would want to be able to make an income yet be at home with them as much as possible. But running a business and raising children is extremely challenging, and time management was always a struggle. Another challenge that I don’t discuss much, I was an extremely shy person at the start of my business. I really had to overcome my fear of talking to and being around people that I didn’t know. I used to be nervous before every wedding. Not just because I was afraid, I could possibly somehow ruin such important pictures, but also because I was nervous to be around hundreds of people that I didn’t know. The early days of business are the definition of “Do it scared”!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to shout out my family!! My mother, Donna Owusu-Jones, has been my number one cheerleader my whole entire life. There has never been a time where she didn’t support my ideas. I could have told her that I was running away with the circus and she would have cheered me on. Both she and the late great Richard Jones encouraged me to do what I wanted in life, they raised me to believe that the sky is the limit! I would also like to shout out my brothers Matthew and Joshua, who have helped in various ways along the years. From assisting me at shoots, to modeling for me and recruiting their friends for senior pictures, to babysitting my children when I needed to work, they definitely played a role in my success! And finally, I want to shout out my son CJ and my daughter Camille. They are the reason that I continue to do what I do. I want them to know that they can do whatever they want in this life, they do not have to be boxed in, and that they can do more than one thing if they choose. The sky is truly the limit and I am thankful that I have been able to show them my own version of success!

Website: https://www.comfortphotography.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecomfortphotography

Image Credits
Bio Pic-Brooke Nicole Creative