We recently connected with Jacqueline Grover and have shared our conversation below.

Jacqueline, appreciate you joining us today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard.

Something that I truly pride myself on is the unique individual experience I give to each of my clients. I know that the way I do things now may not always be manageable as I grow, but I love that I can give a personalized experience to each person and wedding I photograph. I ask them to send me as much inspiration as they want, and rather than adhering to a single preset or “style”, I edit and take my photos based on what my client wants, and I add my own style as I see fit. I also provide sneak peeks usually within 24 – 48 hours and I provide as many as I am able to edit. Sometimes I can deliver up to 30 or 40 sneak peeks. I don’t have a set list of poses that I use either, I go based on the couples personality as I get to know them in my session. If they seem more adventurous and playful, I may have one sit on the others shoulders. If they seem more quiet and low key, we may have some poses that are more romantic. I feel like this is not the norm, at least with a lot of bigger photography companies who may have a single editing process, a single set of poses they use, etc.

Jacqueline, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I have always had a love for photography and for photos. My husband calls me a “memory hoarder” because I want photos of every funny thing our cats do, every cute thing my niece does, so on and so on! When my husband and I got married, I was a very type A bride, and I knew exactly what I wanted. I hired my photographer on facebook because I truly did love her work and the price was perfect. I was a little nervous, because she was in Arizona, and I couldn’t find a ton about her online, but she drove in for our engagement session and it went great and I LOVED my photos! When it came time for the wedding photos to be delivered, it was like pulling teeth to even get them. It took 2+ weeks longer than my contract said and I honestly didn’t love them. There are some great photos, but a lot of key moments were missed. I told my husband I felt like I could have done them better myself (BOLD statement, I know). So finally in March of last year, I picked up the Canon Rebel my Real Estate job had provided me with to use for listing photos of homes when needed, and I shot an engagement session for free. I fell in love instantly. Seeing the couples personality come to life in front of my lens, seeing the photos pop after I edited them. It was truly a high for me. So I kept going, and I tried to give each person the experience I wish I had gotten at my own wedding. I rarely set my camera down, I am always on the hunt for those special candid moments. A little whisper in the ear, a single tear falling from the mother of the groom or bride during vows, a warm embrace from a friend, the list goes on and on. I love some good poses and posed moments, but I live for the documentary style I really aim to provide my clients. I like to give my clients a very individual experience, so they know that this job isn’t about the money for me, it’s truly the experience. You will often find me shedding a few tears at most weddings I photograph, and you will always catch me smiling the entire day. By the time I get home, my jaw is sore from smiling so much. When I am taking photos, I am in my absolute happiest place.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I’m not sure if this a “resource” so much, but I wish I had paid more attention to my gear earlier on. Instead of investing in zoom lenses, or in a better crop sensor DSLR I wish I had just made the jump to a full frame or AT LEAST what it is commonly called the “nifty fifty”. This would have helped me SO MUCH earlier on. It’s totally not always about the gear, but the gear DOES matter to an extent. I also wish I would have looked into renting lenses and gear much earlier. There is a place in Austin I frequent and I love being able to rent a $2,000+ lens for $50 over a couple of days. It’s so helpful for someone starting out who can’t quite afford some of the better gear.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

I bought my first camera off of facebook marketplace and every piece of gear thus far has come second hand or refurbished. It all works great still, and it cost me way less to get started. I often rent gear when needed, also. I used all of my own money from my 9-5 salary to start my website, pay for ads here and there. Thankfully, I just barely broke even by the end of last year, so I am hoping this is the year I make enough profit to go full time!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jgroverphotoco.com
• Instagram: @jgroverphotoco
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/jgroverphotoco