Small Business Spotlight is a space I created to highlight and celebrate fellow small business owners who are doing meaningful, creative, and community-centered work. As a small business owner myself, I know firsthand how much intention, resilience, and heart it takes to build something from the ground up. These features are shared purely out of support and admiration. There are no free products or services exchanged, and no sponsorships involved. Just a genuine desire to uplift local businesses and the people behind them.

This Small Business Spotlight features Tina Jackson of Blueberry Ocean Photography, a photographer and wellness-centered creative who is well loved within the Charleston metaphysical and spiritual community for her welcoming, heart-led approach and empowering Goddess Sessions.

Meet Tina

What inspired you to start your business?

I started Blueberry Ocean Photography after a friend saw and loved some photos I did and asked me to join her as a backup for weddings. She leant me a camera and after that, I was hooked! My other business and personal focus had been on health and I realized that I was needing a creative outlet. Photography allows me to be creative as well as spend time with really amazing people.

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​How did you come up with your business name?

To come up with Blueberry Ocean I wrote a list of words of things I loved and just put them together. It's a fun way to describe things in my daily life. I love the playful visual of a blueberry ocean!

What's the mission or philosophy behind your brand?

Blueberry Ocean Photography captures real life moments. It's important for me to capture genuine personalities, expressions and emotions.

For my Goddess sessions, I strive to allow my client to go deep within for a heart-centered shoot to show all aspects to shine through!

How has your business evolved since you first opened?

I have stayed true to capturing true life moments and connecting with my clients, but the idea of empowering women came much later. After seeing women rushing around and I want to give them space to be calm, yet show their inner power.

Who are the people behind the business? Tell us a little about your background.

Way back when, I went to school for interior design in Philadelphia, where I'm from. When I went to school, I imagined a career filled with creativity and exciting clients. I never found that part of design in my career and so it faded away as I had kids in the early 2000's. I then immersed myself in all things health as I tried to navigate my lifelong issues. I went all-in a few years after moving to Charleston. I became a personal trainer and health coach in 2008. My work in health evolved from movment, food and toxins to also including meditation, breathwork, lymph, fascia and mobility. As I said earlier, I incorporated photography to feed the creative side. I can mesh all these together in my Goddess Sessions when we take the time to breathe, visualize and move into the moment.

What do you love most about being a local business in your area?

Getting to know the people in front of my lens is really fun! We get to a point where everyone is calm and comfortable and that's where the best shots come from! It's such a pleasure to watch families expand and kids go from little people to young adults. Watching women go from in their heads to in their power is really moving!

Are there other local businesses you love and recommend?

Of course, so many! You have to check out my Lowcountry WooWoo page for some of them! (@lowcountry_woo_woo on Instagram).

What's next for your business? Any upcoming launches, events, or dreams?

Integrating the Goddess Sessions with wellness in mini retreats or even week long retreats is the next dream.

Focusing on groups like friends getting together, or women over 50 and allowing them to have space to unwind their nervous systems and get really comfortable loving themselves!

How can the community best support you right now?

Gather some friends for a Goddess Session or mini retreat! When we gather we will do breathwork, dance, be creative and let all inhibitions go away!

A Note From Allie

I've personally had a Goddess Session with Tina, and if you've been subscribed to The Village Grimoire for a while, you've seen some of the photos from that shoot. I don't normally photograph well (don't fight me--I'm a retired makeup artist who knows the type of bone structure that's hard to flatter in photos), but Tina found a way to make me look good.

She's also one of the kindest, most supportive people I've ever met, and I'm not the only one here in Charleston who thinks that!

​Click here to check out the Blueberry Ocean Photography website, here on Facebook, or follow blueberry_ocean_photo on Instagram.

Thanks for being here at The Village Grimoire.

-Allie

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