Life & Work with Jenny Kim

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenny Kim.

Hi Jenny, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I have always been fascinated by people; how they think, engage, and react to their environment. My plan in college was to become a psychologist. That career path seemed like a natural fit for me. However, after taking a basic photo class during my senior year of college, I decided to change course and pursue photography. This led to studying commercial photography at Brooks Institute, working for Annie Leibovitz in New York for a few years and then moving back to Los Angeles as a freelancer. As a freelance photographer, I shot a variety of jobs including events and editorial work. In 2018, I decided to go back to school and get my Master’s degree in photography to focus on project-based work. Focusing on personal projects is extremely fulfilling and bridges the gap between my early studies in psychology and my career as a photographer.

Alright, 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?
I think without the struggles along the way, my work wouldn’t be where it is today. Being honest with myself is critical to bringing depth to my work. I don’t think it’s an easy road if you’re figuring out how to share yourself through your work. Making new work requires focus and motivation and then on top of that, you have to navigate the business side of things. For me, I don’t know if my path will ever become easy, but if it did, I think I would wonder what else I could be doing to push my photography.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Since 2019, I have been working on a project that I started in graduate school called “Making My Way to the Shore” that stems from my life, without children, at the end of my childbearing years. It is highly vulnerable work for me that includes examining familial relationships, my fertility treatments and the struggles of aging as a woman. Through sharing my story, I have been able to connect with women with similar experiences which has been one of the most fulfilling aspects of my personal work.

Editorial work has also been an aspect of my work that is highly rewarding for me. I especially love to photograph stories around the people and food involved in the makeup of the Los Angeles food industry. Working with non-profits to share their stories of the invaluable work they do is another facet of my work that motivates me.

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I’ve always believed in hard work paying off so haven’t really thought in terms of having good or bad luck if something worked out or didn’t work out. I have been very lucky in the sense that my family and friends have always been so supportive throughout my education and career. Having a community of artist friends has been invaluable in formulating my work and enriching my life in general.

Contact Info:

• Website: jennyskim.com
• Instagram: @jennysaekim

Image Credits
Self-portrait from Making My Way to the Shore, credit Jenny Kim All photographs by Jenny Kim