Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Nettles.
Jessica, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
When I was 11, my father worked at a high-quality printing company as a color image assembler. He would take film and strip each print layer-by-layer, working on the single image with such precision and detail. I can still remember the unique smell of ink, paper, and processing fluids. I learned how a film was taken out of a canister and slowly developed. How a simple black strip of plastic, turned into something beautiful that told a story. It was at that age that my Uncle Charlie gave me my first camera, a Minolta Maxxum 7000, and my passion for photography began. At family functions you could always find me with a camera, capturing every moment of our gatherings.
Looking back through the shots, I’d snapped allowed me to relive those special times. I found myself more and more eager as I grew up, to make photography a part of my life.
In 2009, I was involved in a severe car accident. It left me in intensive care for 2 weeks and the hospital over a month. Coming out of that left me with the challenge of starting over. Soon after I married and started a family. Picking up my camera became cathartic and I soon began to take pictures again.
Once my second son was born, I decided to move forward and take the next step and become an official business.
I started with the basics of rebuilding my portfolio. Building and redefining my brand, my voice.
I found in an industry filled with amazing talent finding my voice took a bit longer than I had planned.
I stuck through it. Photography is what I love; it’s a deep-rooted passion. From seeing a couple in love during engagement photos, to exchanging their vows at their wedding, then as a complete family, capturing every chapter along the way. Being part of a moment that will tell a story forever is indescribable to me. So I grew in my craft and learned that I was more an of a lifestyle photographer.
What is lifestyle photography? Wikipedia defines lifestyle photography as “a style of portrait/people photography which aims to capture and document real-life events, situations or milestones in an artistic manner and the art of everyday”, I want to photograph my families, interacting, embracing life as it is in all of its loveliness and beautiful imperfection.
As for my wedding and engagement photography, I prefer more of a photo-journalistic style to tell a story with my images. We will get all the traditional poses that you want in your album, but the majority will be the fun, candid and loving shots that you can never recreate. I believe the photographer must connect with the couple in order to bring out the emotion and excitement of the event. Just as every person is unique, so is every engagement session and wedding. Weddings have so much natural emotion and excitement; there is no need to create anything new, just to capture it all.
When I am not working with other families, I am at home with my two beautiful and amazing little boys. I am first and foremost a mom. I feel that’s what has made me a better photographer. There is nothing like capturing my two little ones at home, dirty, playing outside, or in PJs ready for bed. My husband is a sports television producer who works long hours but is honestly one of my biggest fans. He is the backbone of everything I do and the reason I have been able to be successful in my career. We live in Anaheim Hills with our other two fur babies.
Has it been a smooth road?
Reinventing yourself professionally at 40 isn’t easy. Especially with 2 little ones. I’ve struggled with being a mommy and a businesswoman. Also keeping my focus as photography is a passion not solely to bring in a paycheck. But balancing it all has been rough.
My children are still small 4 and 2 so I edit late when everyone else has gone to sleep. Also, I try to take them on shoots as often as I can.
Also, it’s a very competitive industry. Digital photography has allowed many to take this up at a low cost to a client. Turn and burn photography is a challenge, I have worked on my craft with my camera but in editing. I spend time with clients so that each session is unique to capture the essence of each family.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Jessica Nettles Photography story. Tell us more about the business.
I am a family lifestyle photographer. I specialize in families, engagement and wedding photography. I am known for being fun. Most of my clients will tell you that they “had fun”. I take pride in making my sessions an experience. There is a lot of time and money that goes into sessions, family sessions take planning. Syncing family calendars, outfits, getting ready (especially with little ones) is an investment.
Financially, most families plan for once a year, so knowing that my families invest in me and it’s not a chore is something I am very proud of.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I see a lot of photographers, not continuing. “I am a photographer” Sounds amazing. But taking pictures is a small fraction of what I do. I feel that there will be a drop of people that didn’t realize the investment it takes. I also feel that what’s left will be an amazing amount of talent. Photography is expanding creatively and I feel the next level of digital will bring a new view to photography.
Contact Info:
- Address: Anahiem Hills, California
- Website: jessicanettlesphotographer.com
- Phone: 7143299975
- Email: jessicanettlesphotography@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicanettlesphotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessicanettlesphotography/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/jessica-nettles-photography-anaheim
Image Credit:
Jessica Nettles Photography
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