Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Lopez.
Hi Jessica, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My name is Jessica Lopez and I have always had a passion for photography. The first camera I purchased was back in 2007 and it was a Sony Cyber Shot and I took it to NYC. I took soo many pictures of all the buildings and landscapes.
Years later, I upgraded and bought my first DSLR Nikon 5100 and did the same thing in Chicago, St. Louis, Milwaukee, and Minnesota. I am a huge baseball fan so of course I took photos of all the awesome
stadiums, cities, and skyscrapers.
Fast forward to a few years later, I finish college and got pregnant and wanted a maternity session but at that time it was soo expensive. I think the photographer I loved was charging $700. But of course, it was way out of my budget. My boyfriend at that time stated, “you bought this cool camera learn to use it’, and so I did. But no were close to professional pictures, I tried.
My son was my model for years and YouTube was my best friend. During my maternity leave, all I did was watch tutorials and a lot of trial and error. A LOT!
I started seeing the progress and started posting on my social media. My friend asked me to take photos of her daughter and that was my first photo session of someone other than my own family. After that, I started doing Quinceaneras, events, parties, and portraits.
Six years later I am here doing what I love. I currently work full-time for an insurance company and do photography around my full-time job.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There was a lot of trial and error. I practiced daily until I understood my camera. I started following photographers and asked a ton of questions. Some were nice and helped, others were not so friendly. The main thing is trusting your work and being patient with yourself. I struggled with that and had to remind myself that we all start somewhere. I am still learning because trends tend to change every year. The needs and wants of customers change. New gear is available every year. As for me, I have to use whatever tool I have to make things work. But there was a lot of money invested and it is finally paying off. I think it comes down to who you are as a person. I have worked in customer service my whole life so talking to people has never been a problem. Most if not all of my customers are referrals.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I consider myself an artist and photography is a way to express myself. When I purchased my first camera, I took photos of skyscrapers, buildings, landscapes and food. I saw these things differently from others. I remember showing my friends my photos and they slowly started to see buildings or these things differently. I still love taking pictures of buildings, stadiums, Disneyland, etc. I feel like that is still what I enjoy doing but I also love portraits.
Now, I am a portrait photographer and take photos of families. I specialize more in birthdays and specifically Cakesmash Sessions. I absolutely love Cakesmash Sessions because the focus is in one year old. Typically, the parents pick a theme for their little ones and I create a backdrop for them. We do portraits of their little one and at the end of the session, we place a cake for them to smash.
I am proud of all of my work. I have come a long way and it has taken years and patience.
What sets me apart from others is that I am a people person. I do my best to make every person comfortable in all of my sessions. I have seen customers come and go but then returning. I worked at Starbucks for 12 years and now working in Insurance has helped me grow as a person. I have learned to connect and built a trust with all of my customers.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I believe when starting a business, we are all risk takers. You have to be in order to succeed. For example, I have invested thousands of dollars in my business before seeing any profits. That alone was a risk because my only way to promote was and still is through social media and referrals.
Pricing:
- Cakesmash Sessions start at $225
- Maternity Sessions start at $225
- Family Portraits start at $230
- Newborn Sessions start at $325
- Portraits Sessions Start at $200
Contact Info:
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/j.yvonnephotography
Image Credits
Myself, J.yvonnephotography
