january spotlight - atlas photo group
I had the pleasure of sitting down with Stephen, owner of Atlas Photo Group for January’s local spotlight. He is an exceptional photographer that we’ve used for several of our staging projects. He recently photographed my cousins house in Catonsville. His gorgeous work helped enhance our staging and the hard work my cousins did to get their home ready for the market! Photography is incredibly important in real estate. Photography and staging go hand in hand. The quality of the photography is very important – and we make sure that what they’re capturing is beautiful and will bring many buyers into the home. It’s a win-win partnership and we’re excited to share more about who Stephen is and why photography is special to him.
It’s all about the storY
Stephen is all about telling a story through photography. It’s about creating something from start to finish – showing how it’s made. If he’s shooting at a restaurant, it’s not simply taking a picture of the plate of food but showing the chefs working in the kitchen and even where the food came from – sometimes it’s a farm right down the road. Rather than just taking pictures for marketing, Stephen wants to show what’s behind the photo which allows the viewer to be a part of that story. It’s showing people what they have right in their own neighborhood! Stephen’s favorite type of photography is architecture related. He likes to call it “urban exploring”. He says, “It’s dirty and gritty. It’s the broken-down houses and buildings. Because there’s a story behind the windows being bashed in on an old house. I like showing the other side of photos. Instead of everything being pretty all the time.”
The BeginninG
Stephen has been a photographer since 2010. He left a job with Frito Lay and went all in on photography. He started his career as a sports photographer doing cheerleading and gymnastics events. “I was that guy at the top of the rafters with a camera lens the size of a car. It was fun, a lot of action and fast paced but I really wanted to do something a little more artistic and meaningful.” He didn’t settle. It wasn’t fulfilling him so he went out and looked for more. He realized after a few paid jobs out on his own, “wow, I can really do this. I can make a living with photography.” After about 3 years of sports photography, he started real estate photography. And this month Stephen went out on his own full time with Atlas Photo Group which allows him to be creative in the way he wants and take care of his clients in the way he wants. Incredibly fitting that he is our January spotlight with such exciting news to share!!
Balance
To Stephen, there’s something important about keeping it a hobby. He and many other entrepreneurs feel that when it’s all about the bottom line, you start to lose the creativity and it just becomes a grind. So many photographers fall into that trap and Stephen is passionate about keeping the fun in his work. We talked about the importance of balance and finding that sweet spot between our personal lives and business. When you own a small company it’s easy to get swept away in it because it’s something you love. Stephen has incredible goals for 2023 and there’s a good mix of downtime and vacation mixed in!
Team Work Makes The Dream Work!
He and his wife, Kat are an incredible duo. While he’s out in the field, Kat helps invoicing, scheduling and email communication. During the busy season he’s shooting 8-11 houses a day. So, Kat is a huge help! Stephen also has an editor and videographer. A small team is what he wants. He doesn’t want a big corporate system. He feels like it takes away the small business vibe and customers don’t like that. People like dealing with individuals, which is what you get when you work with the Atlas Photo Group. Having his hands in the mix and having a craft team allows them to bounce ideas off each other and makes the work day easier. Although Stephen has an editor, he always has the final say and final touch on all of the photos. He always does a quality check to make sure that everything looks and feels top quality!
2023 and beyond!
Stephen would love to network and share his ideas with other artists. He’d love to expand his business with architects, designers and contractors in 2023. Showing the transformation of an old house being renovated, the cabinets being installed and the story of the project from start to finish is something that he’s excited about in the home renovation industry. If you are an architect, designer or contractor, or know of one, click the button below to connect with Stephen! 2023 is going to be a great year for Atlas Photo Group and anyone that has the privilege and honor of working with them.
We have the same philosophy about so many things. It was such an incredible conversation. I loved the opportunity to sit down with Stephen and learn more about him and what makes photography special to him. He is warm, funny and incredibly passionate about his craft. We are so excited to work together more this year and I’m excited for all of you to meet him and experience his next level photography.