Today we’d like to introduce you to Jess Young.
Jess, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Life is all about moments, and capturing them has been a passion and pastime of mine. Jess Young Images evolved at a time of change in my professional life. It never occurred to me to make it a business until I came at a crossroads and was confronted with this simple question: “If you could do anything to make a living, what would you choose?” All it took was for me to hear it out loud, and the feeling of excitement and fear sparked courage inside me, and I went full speed ahead.
I spent my first six to nine months photographing for free just about anything that came my way — sporting events, birthday parties, family portrait, corporate events, you name it. This thing called “photography” wasn’t as easy as when it was just my hobby. Photography is a serious challenge. Plenty of mistakes have been made along the way that turned into great learning opportunities. My camera became an extension of me, and I learned and continue to learn a lot about my equipment, about my style, and about how I see the world around me.
I feel passionate about creating images that evoke emotion, that can tell a complete or non-complete story, and I’m driven by what I feel, not by what I see, when pressing the shutter. So in 2016, equipped with the right gear on hand, and a desire to succeed, Jess Young Images ventured into engagement and wedding photography. I knew it was the right company move. People are extremely interesting, and emotion is a part of that. I thoroughly enjoy being around people, meeting and working with couples, all while capturing the authenticity and rawness of their relationship. Life is filled with big moments, and all these moments should be documented. I still approach every engagement and wedding session with a good mixture of excitement and nerves, and I don’t think this feeling will ever go away. Creativity has no boundaries, and I enjoy the freedom that photography allows to create something unique and different. Shooting is so much fun. With all the beauty, love, moments, emotions, and variety that make up life, how could it not.
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?
No, it hasn’t been a smooth road. I would say that my biggest struggle as a small business owner is the responsibility that I have for all the working parts of my company, Jess Young Images. So in addition to improving my craft every day, I am also needing to be an expert in customer service, marketing, bookkeeping, social networking, and any other business facet you can think of. There’s a ton of learning that goes on to make it all run smoothly.
Financially, yes, it is still a struggle. Some months we do much better than others. And then, of course, balancing my time between my business and personal life is challenging. I still find myself emailing or editing pictures well into the late night. Being efficient with my time and calendar is still a work-in-progress.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Jess Young Images – what should we know?
Engagements and weddings are our specialty in any setting. Living in beautiful Southern California, we are becoming known for our beach engagements and weddings.
Challenging as it may be to work with natural light, we do enjoy it and prefer it. I am proud of my team of second shooters whose unique perspective complement my own.
We are passionate about creating images full of emotions and never letting those in-between moments go unseen. We pride ourselves in providing high quality images that capture the beauty and the most intimate moments of their special day from beginning to end. This team effort is what sets us apart. We, at Jess Young Images, are not all about business. We take the time to get to know our couple and to build an easy rapport with them, their family, and friends. The couple experience matters to us, and we want this experience to be a positive and enjoyable one. For us, it is truly an honor to partner with couples and document the beginning of their greatest love adventure.
What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
Well, every “I love my pictures” email is always a proud moment for me. But thinking back, I would also have to say that seeing one of my images, in print, in large size, hung up high on the wall of my client’s home gave me this incredible feeling of appreciation and satisfaction, but not for the hard work it took in creating the picture, but for what it now means to my clients, to have such a sweet reminder of a very special moment.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jessyoungimages.com
- Phone: (818) 288-7189
- Email: [email protected]
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