Rising Stars: Meet Jackie Sterna

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jackie Sterna.

Hi Jackie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Ever since I was a small child, I’ve always held a passion for photography. My first “models” were my beanie babies, and I would spend hours staging photoshoots with them around the house and then begging my parents to develop rolls and rolls of film. I’m completely self-taught; I never liked the structure of classes and I was afraid of losing my creativity.

Instead, I’ve spent two decades honing my craft, pushing my own creative limits, and expanding my skill set. I’ve always worked 2-3 jobs while pursuing photography and was given the nickname “Busy Bee” because I was never not working and creating! I started my business and created a Facebook page in 2010, I shot as much as I could to build up my reviews. I collected them like a kid collecting candy on Halloween. I knew I needed them to grow! Last year was my first year shifting into photography full time, I gave up a lot to get here, it’s been exhausting and overwhelming, but so worth it!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely has not been a smooth road! Being a creative is hard. I still catch myself feeling embarrassed to say I’m a photographer because of the judgment I’ve gotten and that’s so dumb of me to let myself feel that way. It’s very rare to come across people that truly believe you can make a living as a photographer and I have often felt like people around me are waiting for me to “go back to school and get a real job” Some people try to be encouraging, but you can tell they don’t really believe in you so you really have to believe in yourself — which is crazy hard. I can’t even count how many times people have suggested to me I just keep photography as a hobby. I have also “quit” photography multiple times throughout the years due to burnout but I always come back to it. Having a camera in my hand is just a part of who I am and who I will always be.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a Commercial Lifestyle and Fashion Editorial Photographer and have recently been bringing that into Personal Branding shoots for female entrepreneurs who are over looking like everyone else in their shoots. I am known for pushing societal boundaries and producing bold and provocative work. I, and many others, are so tired of the box professionals have been put in creatively and really want to create a shift from “boring headshots” to fun photos that really showcase each individual’s personality. When I get comments from old guys telling me my photoshoots are beautiful but I “shouldn’t show the models piercings/tattoos” or “there shouldn’t be beer in the photo”, there “shouldn’t be this or that” — it only makes me want to do it more. These young badass women are making more money than these judgmental old men and having a blast doing it! Let’s embrace it, be who we, and not create shame around it. Who made these rules anyway?

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I CANNOT EXPRESS HOW EXCITED I AM WATCHING THE INDUSTRY BECOME MORE INCLUSIVE – with models of all shapes, sizes, ethnicities, tattoos, piercings, etc. completely LIMITLESS. My whole life I’ve heard girls around me say, “I want to model but I can’t because _______” — well that’s not the case anymore. There’s still a lot of work to be done but we are on the right path! I’m also super excited about the shift in Personal Branding shoots we are fighting toward, I mean, would you rather hire someone with a stale photo of them sitting at their desk with a cheesy smile or someone who you feel connected to through a brand shoot where you see a photo of them drinking your favorite wine. We are seeing more value put on stories, connections, and finding your people. No matter what the service provider is — at the end of the day, if you’re faced with two AMAZING highly recommended accountants that have the same ratings and experience, etc. but one has more of your vibe — wouldn’t you be more stoked to hire them?

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: jackiesterna.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/jackiesterna
• Facebook: facebook.com/jackiesternaphoto

Image Credits
Image 1: Model: @gialongo Image 2: Model: @highmoonstudio HMUA: @amandakelley.hmua Image 3: Model: @ehhmilee Image 4: Model: @ozzyosbored Hair: @faunsalon Makeup: @vera.maslieva.art Wardrobe: @brookebarrettforyou Image 5: Model: @lexihalfen HMUA: @vera.maslieva.art Image 6: Model: @elke.lynch for @siabotanics HMUA: @camilaoachoa.faces Image 7: Model: @amani_arrington Makeup: @gemsteezy Image 8: Model: @secretstosocialmedia HMUA: @amandakelley.hmua