Meet Jenny Brezinski of Brezinski Photography

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

Jenny, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Three years ago, I was at a photoshoot with my (now) fiancé, Derek, for his improv group, The Resistance. I had never met the photographer previous to that, but I attended to help out with whatever the group needed, including styling. I loved watching him shooting– seeing how he set everything up, and how that translated to the frame. The very next day, Derek informed me that that very same photographer, Chad Michael Ward, had posted that he was in need of an assistant. It was more of an intern job, but in return for helping him on shoots, he would teach you everything he knew. And since he’s been doing this for 20 years, there’s a lot of knowledge to be gleaned from him!

Derek had bought me a camera for the previous Christmas, as I had interest in photography, but no idea how to use it. I was literally just pushing buttons and turning knobs. This is exactly what I wrote to Chad, just 3 minutes after his post went up, informing him I would love to learn how to use the camera properly in exchange for helping on his shoots however I could.

I got the job.

I assisted on about six full shoots, and, each time, he would quiz me on what I had learned the shoot before. It was nerve-wracking because there was so much information that it was like drinking from a firehose. Sometimes, the data would barely stick in my brain. But, eventually, I got the gist and ventured out on my own, practicing and experimenting with the techniques that I had learned from Chad.

Opportunity came knocking, not too long after, and I was hired to shoot new photos for “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. I was super nervous, but when you’re starting out and building your portfolio, the chance to shoot recognizable faces, is priceless, so of course, I accepted! And on that day of building a camaraderie with my subject, and trying not to let on that I was nervous, being such a newcomer to the field, I had no idea that the experience would become a seminal event in my life.

See, I was the last person to do a photoshoot with Roddy. A month and a half later, he passed away. Even though I hardly knew him, as a photographer, you DO get to know your subjects during your time with them, and then especially after, as you agonize over every highlight in their eyes and become familiar with the shades of meaning in their smiles. Or see a moment of true vulnerability that the camera just happened to snap. And then you blow it up to larger than life-size, and you work out every detail, examine every eyelash and wrinkle.

That’s our job. And then we present what we think is the best version of the true person. He received the photos with great compliments… and then he was gone, leaving only photos and memories and a lot of love in the hearts of his family and friends and fans.

It made me realize how important those captured moments are.

And it also made me suddenly hyper-aware that life is way too short.

It was time to reexamine my OWN life like I do those portraits of other people.

I was bartending at a job I wasn’t fond of, not because of the place, but because I had been bartending for so long. I figured I would be doing it forever, because I never finished college nor did I learn any ‘skill’ besides that. Well, I take that back. I had been taking acting classes since I moved to LA, but have only started auditioning in the past three years. So, besides an audition here or there, I was just stuck behind the bar.

The day after Roddy passed away, I was two weeks from turning 40. I had been wanting to quit my job so badly and focus on my photography, but I was too scared to try. What if I failed? What if I went more broke than I already was?? And then, in one moment, none of that mattered. Roddy’s passing really made me think about what I was doing in life. What DID matter was, what if I didn’t try? What if I made tons of money, but hated getting out of bed in the morning??

So, I quit.

For the next two years, I taught myself more about photography, fully taught myself Photoshop and practiced on my friends.

Once I got better, I started charging just a little bit for headshots and portraits. Then it just started building from there. I’ve done set-photography, made movie posters, portraits, headshots and whatever else I can create. Stopping time to dig into one single moment and make it as perfect as I can for eternity.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The struggles are all basic human struggles. The way we doubt ourselves, the battle to be perfect or to live up to someone else’s standards of what “making it” means. Thinking you’ll never be good enough to call yourself an artist. Wondering if the rent money will be in the account in 6 months. We are all our own worst enemies putting brain energy on things that don’t move us forward.

Every time I sent a folder of my work to a client, I would immediately start putting myself down. It’s not good enough. They’re going to hate it. What am I doing charging people money for this?!…and so on and so on. It took me ending up in the hospital from stress last November, to stop putting so much importance on being perfect; and much more importance and strength into being myself. (This has helped me in my auditions too.) Now, I focus on developing my own style continuously, while teaching myself new ways to create what I see in my head.

Can I just add that if it wasn’t for my fiancé, I would have gone completely mad. He has supported me financially when I needed it, mentally when I was kicking myself down and every other way you could dream of being loved. He is my best friend and I am grateful. He is so proud of my work and proud of me. He keeps my artist heart full.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
I started by learning how to do portraits from Chad, but in LA headshots are a definite “must know”. I started tweaking my knowledge to fit what actors would need out of their shots so I could start advertising for those as well as portraits.

I have learned a completely new skill in three years and started teaching myself graphics, so I can go into posters and advertisements more. Also, Faster Pussycat made one of my designs into a t-shirt they sell. So that’s cool, right?!

I think I am different from most because I don’t really know the rules, so I have no idea when I’m breaking them! And after all, rules are made to be broken.

What were you like growing up?
As a kid, I was a major tomboy who loved horses. I wouldn’t say I was the brunt of a lot of bullying, but I was definitely made fun of.
It didn’t help that I had naturally dark circles under my eyes, my hair was always a mess, and I was just plain awkward. But the truth is, I never cared because I was too busy playing outside with my brother and our friends. We played army, we played war, we watched THUNDERCATS and HE-MAN after school. We’d climb trees and build forts to invade. I didn’t have an understanding of what being a girl was (or how to start behaving as one) until I was around 21.

About three and a half years ago, my parents told me for the first time about coming home one day when I was around five years old to find me on the phone talking to someone. Somehow, I had gotten the number of an acting school or agency from the phonebook. When my dad took the phone from me to see who I was talking to, the man informed him I called and told him I wanted to be an actress. So that’s always been there. I used to give fake interviews to Entertainment Tonight while sitting on the edge of my parent’s bathtub and looking into the mirror. I will always pursue acting. But now, I have the best of both worlds. I continue to pursue that dream, while helping others to do the same through their headshots, and I find tons of material to use in the world through my lens. Every portrait is a character.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.brezinskiphotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brezinski.photography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brezinskiphotography/

Image Credit:
Brezinski Photography

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