Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Jackson.
Jennifer, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’m a Canadian girl and I fell for an Australian guy back in 2001 (it was his accent)! We were married in 2007 and went to live in Australia after our wedding. Moving to Australia felt like a fresh start and the perfect time to try my hand at something new. I’d always loved taking photographs. So I studied photography in Melbourne, Australia for 2 years.
I went into my college course in Melbourne wanting to photograph people. I was told by my instructors that most students end up changing their focus throughout the program. But my desire to photograph people stayed strong throughout the two years. I love interacting with people and capturing their personalities and their relationships with other people.
When I finished college, I went through a training program with a photographer named Israel Smith in Sydney, Australia. He ran a successful portrait business which focused mainly on weddings and family photography sessions. He was such a lovely guy- so open to teaching me and willing to share his knowledge. I went out on shoots with him and he really taught me the importance of connecting with people when you photograph them. That has become my number one priority.
I spent a number of years after that doing photography sessions with family & friends as I experimented, found my style and worked to improve my skills. I got so much joy from capturing beautiful moments between people. I had two children of my own and my love for photography only grew as I captured memories of my son & daughter.
When my husband and I moved to the Los Angeles area I felt it was finally time to set up a small business as a family portrait photographer. “Juniper J Photography” was named and started in 2016.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Learning the ins & outs of starting up & running a small business has definitely been challenging- so many learning curves! Especially with all of the technology involved in business nowadays. I’ve had to learn all about social media platforms and website design. Speaking to people face to face and over the phone comes naturally to me. I find communicating through technology more complicated. But technology must be understood and embraced these days!
Juniper J Photography – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Juniper J Photography focuses mainly on family photography- although I’m also doing other things like headshots, maternity, newborn lifestyle, & engagements as well. I love to capture relationships between people in any situation, really. Parents playing with their children, children loving on their pets, couples being… coupley! I’m much more interested in capturing candid moments between people than overly posed images.
My goal at Juniper J Photography is to provide my clients with a simple, enjoyable experience from the first time they contact me until our final meeting where they receive their photography products. I believe photography should be fun and the end result should be thrilling photographs to put up in your home to enjoy! For the most part, I walk my clients through the process of ordering prints & products rather than receiving their images on memory stick. Those end up in a desk drawer. I want clients to actually see & love their images up on their walls!
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I photographed a wedding for a close friend a few years ago in Australia. I wasn’t experienced as a wedding photographer at all- but I followed my gut and took a chance. I was at a point in my career where I needed to push myself out of my comfort zone. A wedding sure did the trick! It was a high pressure, crazy, wonderful experience. I had a great time- only dropped my camera twice- and captured some lovely images for the newlyweds. I’m so glad my friend had the faith in me to have me do it – and I’m thankful to my husband for not letting me talk myself out of it a few times leading up to the big day!
Pricing:
- Photography session fee: $150 (weekdays) $200 (weekends)
- Photography packages start at $650
Contact Info:
- Website: www.juniperj.com
- Phone: 661 234 1415
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: juniperjphotography
- Facebook: Juniper J Photography
Image Credit:
All images were taken by Jennifer Jackson of Juniper J Photography
Profile image taken by Pamela VanBelle Photography (Atlanta, GA)
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