Meet South Bay & Orange County Photographer: Jennifer Sharp

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Sharp.

Jennifer, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve always had an interest in photography. I remember taking photography classes with my mom at the YMCA, it still gives me a cozy feeling. I would take artsy darkroom classes at the community college and take photos for friends. It was never anything serious, just a creative outlet that I enjoyed. After I graduated college I moved from Minnesota to Belize. Belize is a very beautiful place but you often need to be a bit creative or at least resourceful about how to make a living. Already being a SCUBA diver, I decided to buy an underwater camera and have some fun. As I did it more and more, I started to get better and better at it. Underwater photography is very different than anything on land, so there definitely was a bit of a learning curve. Pretty soon I was going along on all the dives and taking photos of the tourists and selling them CDs with their photos. It was a great way to make some money, get some WOW images and get my workout in at the same time. San Pedro, Belize is also a huge location for destination weddings. So one thing led to another, and soon I was taking underwater photos in the mornings, and shooting weddings in the evenings. After a few years, I moved back to the US and decided to take a temporary break from weddings. I was shooting mostly stock lifestyle photos and started to dabble in other subjects like food and real estate. But with a full-time job to pay the bills between shoots, photography started to take more and more of a backseat to a predictable paycheck. I have been in LA for almost 7 years, and have decided I don’t love working for a large corporation anymore. I needed to get back to photography full time, it’s what I love doing. Now that I am a full-time photographer once again, I am shooting more and more food, mostly for local restaurants and their menus. Seeing that awesome food shot can instantly make you hungry. Hotels are also quickly becoming a favorite, a unique and beautiful resort will give you a serious case of wanderlust. With a few weddings on the horizon, I’m hoping LA will keep me just as busy as Belize did.

Has it been a smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road. Most of the larger struggles started when I moved to LA. LA is such an artistic area, which is great for inspiration and collaboration. It also can be tough because LA has thousands of photographers, so getting my foot in the door has been difficult, and this is one pricey city to struggle in. When I was doing more lifestyle photos, I sold a lot to stock sites. In the past few years making a full-time income from stock images has become almost impossible. The market is so saturated that incomes for most have taken a nose dive. Sadly, that made it too easy to put down the camera and trade it for a steady job. But that eventually sucks the soul out of you and you realize you need to get back to what you love and what you are good at.

What role has luck had in your life and career?
I’m not sure if it’s luck so much as communicating with everyone you know and new people you meet. When you take the time to introduce yourself and have a conversation, they remember you. “Oh hey, I remember her, she’s a photographer, I need a photographer, let me give her a call.” Luck, good or bad, doesn’t just happen.

Do you feel like there are certain traits that increase the likelihood of success?
Loving what I do. If you don’t love it, and your heart isn’t in it, it will be reflected in your work, no matter what your work is. If you love what you do, it will show. If you complain endlessly and hate your day, that will become your personality.

What do you love about our city and what do you dislike?
What I like best about Los Angeles is that there is an endless amount of things to do. Between the museums, the beaches, the mountains and all the unique people, you will never be bored here. I keep a little to-do list of all the places I want to go for the week, never once have I tackled my whole list… What I like least is the crowds. I grew up in the midwest, so no matter how long I live here I can never get used to sitting in traffic, waiting 2 hours in line to get on a roller coaster or endlessly circling the block looking for parking.

Contact Info:

• Website: jensharpphoto.com
• Phone: 657-204-6701
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: jensharpphoto
• Facebook: jensharpphotography