Spring GR alumnus, Alfield Reeves Photography, explores Grand Rapids people and events

Alfield Reeves Photography is a Grand Rapids-based photography business. The owner and operator is, naturally, Alfield Reeves, a native of the west coast African country of Liberia.

Reeves, who has lived in Grand Rapids most of his life, bought a camera while in college and fell in love with taking pictures. "After starting my photography page on Facebook, a friend of a friend saw some of my work and asked if I would do their wedding," Reeves says. "Since then I realized I could start a business and make a profit off of it. Never in my lifetime would I have imagined that I would start a business, let alone a photography business."

Reeves says he specializes in fashion photography, events, and portraits. He recently started a photo series called #ThePeopleOfGrandRapids (found on Instagram) where he explores downtown Grand Rapids. "I just talk to people and hear their stories, passions, interests and lives," he says. Reeves says this project led him to be asked to do a week-long Instagram takeover for Grand Rapids Magazine.

He says enjoying photography is only a small part of running a business. To help him build a stronger foundation, Reeves just completed Spring GR, a training, mentoring and networking program. "Spring GR helped me tremendously," he says. "It opened my eyes to a lot of things I wasn't thinking about as a business owner, such as controlling my costs, building a team, understanding my niche and other avenues to expand my business."

You can learn more about Alfield Reeves Photography through his website, Facebook page or Instagram.

Writer: John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs News Editor