Meet Justine Grace | Arizona Couples & Wedding Photographer

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

Hi Justine, how does your business help the community?
I started my business during the pandemic and I felt that it was appropriate at the time. I wanted my work to display love between couples in hopes of demonstrating the presence of love even in the most unprecedented times. When I started my photography business, it was my goal to capture the raw and unfiltered moments between couples and for it to have a positive impact on their relationship. Reminding couples the why behind their wedding, showing them how much they love each other through the valleys and peaks of their relationships, and strengthening their bond with each other is definitely a rewarding work.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Starting a business is never easy, especially during a pandemic. Pursuing a business in photography has always been a dream of mine, ever since I was fifteen. My cousin asked me to second shoot a wedding and I have been in love with weddings and couples ever since. Throughout nursing school, I’ve always photographed seniors, couples, and second shot weddings. It wasn’t until the pandemic that I decided to take it up a notch and turn my hobby into a business.

The most difficult part about starting and having a business is setting yourself apart from others. I have met so many talented, gifted, and amaaaazing photographers in the short time that I’ve been in the business. I absolutely love and adore every single one of their work! Now comes the question: how can I set myself apart from them? How do I stand out in the crowd? To stay authentic and true to my values and my goals. I want to produce photos that can stand the test of time, photos that tell my couple’s stories, and photos that display their love for each other. I wanted to create genuine relationships with my clients and provide an outstanding experience during their couple session and/or their wedding days!

Starting a business in the middle of a pandemic is never fun–starting a business is never fun period. Establishing yourself in a heavily saturated field is probably one of the most difficult parts about the start of a business. I learned to enjoy the moment and enjoy the company. Each and every photographer has their own style, their own stories, and their own goals. It’s about the community and not about the competition. I’ve learned so much from all the photographers that I’ve met. I’ve made great connection with most of them and each of them have contributed to my business. The turning point for me was when I realized that the photography industry is not about competition but about the community. Everyone is so kind and so welcoming that it made starting a business that much more easier!

My goal has been and will always be to capture the raw and unfiltered moments, to capture the passion between a couple who’s madly in love with each other, and to capture the in-between moments of their love to positively impact their relationship and create a stronger bond between them!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My favorite spots in the city revolve around food! Steven and I are huge foodies, in fact we travel for the food! The first place that we’ll go to is Great Wall during their dim sum hours. Great wall offers Arizona’s finest dim sum selections between chicken feet, shumai, dumplings, and so much more! Another great place to eat is Jin-Shabu in Chandler. Jin-Shabu is an all you can eat Japanese Hot Pot! For drinks we’ll go to Bubble Cups for boba and/or Tastea! For hangout spots, I love going to the Desert Botanical Gardens (and we can turn the day into a photoshoot!).

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
This one’s a little personal and is also the reason why I pursued photographing couples and weddings. My shoutout goes to my hunny, Steven. From the moment we met, he has always pushed me to pursue my dreams and achieve my goals. He has never failed to support me and love me. Even if sometimes it means sacrificing our time with each other for time into my business. Without him, my business would not be where it is today. He encourages me to stay authentic and to never lose sight of my goals: to capture the love and chemistry between two people who are so passionate about each other, to capture the in-between moments of a couple’s wedding that reveals the rawest and purest forms of love, and to freeze moments in time to last through generations. It sounds very cheesy but its these moments that mean the most to me and to be able to give these to my clients is truly rewarding!

Website: justinegracephotography.com

Instagram: instragram.com/justinegrace.photography

Image Credits
Paige Lorin Photography