Headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, Elle Danielle is a photography business run by LaTara Johnson. It provides a full range of wedding and lifestyle shots, but Johnson’s specialty is child and family portraiture — always taken outside of a traditional studio for a more natural, nuanced look.

HOW MENTORING WILL HELP: “I’m hoping to learn how to make my business more appealing to investors, how to best handle and manage problems when they arise, and how to further grow my business for true sustainability,” Johnson says. From the 100 Urban Entrepreneurs professional network, I hope to learn from those who have faced, and are facing, the same business struggles I go through.”

HOW $10,000 WILL HELP: “The grant will help take my business to the next level,” Johnson says. “I plan to use the money to open an office/natural-light studio, upgrade my camera and computer equipment, and expand my marketing efforts.”

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LATARA JOHNSON took a circuitous route to becoming a professional photographer: She went to law school, graduating in 2008. “My journey into photography was a combination of being displeased with the practice of law and taking my son, then 8 months old, to have his picture taken,” Johnson, 28, says. “I realized that photography might be something I would enjoy and would be good at.”Her pictures prove the point: Johnson offers a full range of wedding and lifestyle portraiture, but her specialty is child and family shots. She almost always eschews traditional studio photography, shooting in natural environments to capture more subtle, beautifully lit and spontaneous images. •