Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan and Jasmin Manning.
Ryan, Jasmin, please kick things off for us. Where does this story begin?
Each of us independently had a passion for photography specifically since we were about 15 years old. Ryan picked up his first serious camera while in the midst of launching his career as a sponsored skateboarder and Jasmin, having grown up in a family of artists, always had a camera in her hand. Sometimes Jasmin even felt like she was the girl people would invite to their events just because they wanted it documented.
While attending the same high school we separately took a film photography class where we both started our journey with photography and we both gained a passion for shooting and developing imagery in the dark room. This brought us both into the moment about five years later where we both met over cameras at a camera store in our area.
Before we even started dating, we decided to bring our passions together and start our own photography business. We had friends see our potential together and they continually encouraged us to pursue our life’s passion of launching our business as a team. We both became tired of working for other people and we wanted to create our future instead of following behind the vision of employers in fields we weren’t passionate about.
We started from the ground up and went to select businesses and venues in our area to introduce ourselves, we knew if we could just get people to meet with us they would see what we were all about. Every Tuesday we would buy a big bundle of bagels and gift them to those we had set up meetings with along with business cards, marking them off our list one at a time as we pursued those we wished to work with. We never gave up and didn’t shy away from rejection or being ignored. Despite not being well established as a business or even in our craft, we were confident in who we were and what we could do so we pursued our dreams with boldness and determination.
Arriving to today, we have been in business together almost a decade and have even blossomed a sector of our time into photography and business mentorships after receiving so many requests to do so.
We love to travel and have been to over 20 countries together for both play and business over the years and intend to keep our feet off the ground and passports ready. Travel photography is something we both relish in and meeting + shooting for people from so many different cultures and cities is also a gift we receive in our work.
We are both terribly nerdy about our gear and technology in all the complexities and intricate details, yet on a daily level we also enjoy the simple things–Jasmin enjoys unsweetened green tea at her leisure and Ryan crafts himself a mean cup of espresso every day of the week.
We also have an awesome cat, she’s a Bengal–part Asian leopard–by the name Leroux and she is our best buddy on our adventures and cutest cuddler while we edit in our home office.
Our greatest adventure in life, however, is our baby boy, Emerson, who at the time is only five weeks young. You can see him in Jasmin’s baby bump in our photos.
A staple value we wish to raise our son to know is the true gratification and triumphs of entrepreneurship.
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 greatest struggles in establishing ourselves in a business, especially in the business of the arts, arose in the first year. I, Ryan, was working another job in addition to Monocle Project and Jasmin continued working two jobs while also contributing to Monocle Project. Because of our busy schedules we never saw each other except for when we were working on shoots together. This, along with natural struggles with nurturing our new found marriage, made allocating sufficient time to put into practice our ideal business model difficult.
It was all worth it though, we are now privileged enough to work from home where we spend most of our time together. We always hear from others that they would not be able to work with their spouse and although it was one of our early struggles and there was a transition period, we would never have it any other way.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We are Monocle Project, a husband + wife photography team composed of two people who love each other, love life, and love our craft.
With a love for people and a collaborative edge, we aim to create a full experience for our clients that begins the moment we meet. Our whole-hearted standards are to surpass your expectations, capture glorious moments, and create astonishing imagery.
We are passionate people who specialize in wedding + commercial + lifestyle photography.
We create for our clients with an effective and wholehearted vision with a versatility for documenting the subtle details while emphasizing the glory of their best moments.
As Monocle Project we have distinguished a style purposed to capture life’s most cherished moments in an artful + edgy + timeless manner.
What were you like growing up?
Ryan: I have always been adventurous, climbing up trees, mountainsides, loving to camp and anything that you could imagine a young boy doing. I ended up taking that love for the outdoors and my high energy to something I fell in love with. I became a sponsored skateboarder and rode for Utility Board Shop and even though I knew skateboarding would only turn out to be a hobby, I used the opportunity of traveling around California to grow my photography skills. In the world of skateboarding we collectively need to rely on each other to take videos and photos of one another. Everyone would rely on me to be the main photographer of our events and it helped me grow in what would one day be my craft.
I now love to fix up and ride my 1985 Harley Sportster and my 1973 Honda CB35o, and you can be assured that my wife and I, along with our friends. seek out beautiful places to travel though and photograph.
When I’m not riding my motorcycle and taking photos, I get my true joy from spending time with my wife, my newborn son, Emerson, and my awesome Bengal cat, Leroux.
Jasmin: I grew up as the middle of three sisters in South Lake Tahoe California. I was always outside riding my bike as a black stallion, fostering tiny communes of tadpoles and butterflies from eggs, hanging in tree forts in the spring and making snow castles in the winter. I remember warm summer evenings on our family boat, chilly mornings fishing in the pond, and my interest in nature fueling my inner being.
I was a skier from the time I could walk and a snowboarder from the time I discovered skiing was for oldies.
I was a shy little girl in a small town with all the wonders of nature at my feet.
After moving five times in two years my new classmates would inquire if I could even speak at all. Now, my husband can hardly keep me quiet when we are on shoots.
I grew up with an artist for a mother, always staying up at night on her light table working on her sketches, or getting out the pastels for my sister and I to join her in her visionary quest.
My dad has the mind of an engineer and would always speak to me as if I could understand as he would provide me the details of mechanics and such. Eventually I did begin to understand and I am so thankful for his regard for growing my mind.
From the age of 13 I always had a camera in hand. I was the girl you’d invite to your event just so you’d get some good photos out of it.
I was also a runner; long distance was my thing. As a freshman in high school I was the best in our county, and by sophomore year I was 13th in the state. My mom always said it’s because as a child, I always had to be first. I was the one running ahead on our family walks, or ordering everyone into a straight line in the school yard line-up.
I still have my love for nature from my hometown, love of art from my mother, and love of technology from my father. I have the humility of my 4th grade self and the determination to be first in whatever I dedicate myself to. More than this, I have a faith in Christ that secures my hope and my joy so that no obstacles or failures can ever keep me in defeat. Through all my efforts and victories, to him I owe the glory.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://monocleproject.com
- Phone: 714.707.0655
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monocleproject/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MonocleProject/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/monocle-project-palm-springs-2?osq=monocle+project
Image Credit:
Ryan & Jasmin Manning; Monocle Project
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
