April 24, 2017

Meet Jessica Franz of Jessica Franz Photography in Studio city

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Franz.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Jessica. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I actually owe it to my parents’ love for photography that I was hooked from an early age. The use of natural lighting and capturing a moment in time – the emotions, fashion trends, relationships, adventures fascinated me. To be able to look at the photographs centuries later and remember those moments vividly. So, I started experimenting with a 35mm camera when I was thirteen.

Years later I took photos of friends, was in charge of our family portraits and anything else that was worth taking pictures of. That sometimes included pre-teen dress up shoots that crack us up until this day. Let’s just call them “90’s Vogue inspired shoots for the poor”. As time went by, I loved the idea of making my hobby a regular creative outlet for me. So, I decided to buy a DSLR and proper lens kit. Since then, I’ve been busy by word of mouth.

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?
It took me a while to get where I am now – mainly because L.A. specifically has such a talented pool of photographers that the competition is strong. That makes it even more exciting for me when a client loves my work and trusts me with his special occasion though.

The biggest struggle has been to uphold the industry standard rates, because there are a lot of up and coming photographers that are willing to go below. Unfortunately, weddings in particular take a lot of preparation, time on the day of and can have a long post- production process, so they come with a price tag. I offer free retouches that can take up to an hour per image because I love tweaking them until I’m happy.

I am a perfectionist when it comes to my work, so it just takes time. Photography is my art.

Please tell us about Jessica Franz Photography.
I love taking photos and still get very excited before every shoot. What sets me apart I think is that getting to know my clients and truly figuring out who they are, what they are looking for and what works best for them is the most important part for me. Lens choices, knowing your lighting, technical aspects and equipment matter of course – but making the client feel comfortable creates the ease to get relaxed images.

Getting to know and trusting each other before and during a shoot is key to be able to capture personal, intimate or spontaneous moments. I believe the true beauty of a person comes out when they are allowed to be themselves. Oh, and I have been called very funny – so I guess that helps to get people relaxed quickly too.

I believe it shows in the results. Whether it is a feeling, a magical lighting opportunity or a strong expression – it takes a special connection to create a special image. I don’t have an event preference because I enjoy variety. The challenges of shooting a wedding excite me as much as those of a concert, the behind the scenes of a film shoot or taking corporate portraits.

Therefore my specialty are candid images, spontaneous, unplanned, authentic. I’m known for taking my time and making sure the client feels good about the shoot. That way, the magic unfolds naturally.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
That’s a good question. Well, I love nature and enjoy the effortlessness of it all. So, my favorite memories are probably those when I used to lay in the grass, intoxicated by the sounds of bees, birds, or the horses next door. It gave me such peace and understanding of how happiness feels at a young age. Naturally, I also love taking photos of it and have been obsessed about sunsets since I can remember.

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