We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jenna Holmes a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jenna thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

I wanted a simple name for my business, settling on JHolmes Snapshots. The first part comes from my name: I’m the “J”, Jenna, and Holmes is my last name. For the second part: “Snapshots”, I wanted something that reflected my photography style. Photography has always been my side hobby that coincides nicely with traveling and hiking. I especially enjoy mountains and waterfalls, so I plan my trips around locations that will allow me to experience those things. However, when I’m traveling, I never start out with a set plan of images to obtain at a certain site; instead, I try to capture the scenic views and beauty that catches my eye. The spur of the moment, “this is stunning”, quick photo-op is my preference, resulting in the “Snapshots” portion of JHolmes Snapshots.

Jenna, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Jenna, and I love capturing images in all forms. I work full time as a sonographer (ultrasound tech), documenting the human body through diagnostic photos. In my free time, I enjoy traveling and hiking, chasing the next scenic view. My goal is to share the natural beauty in the world around us, especially to those who may not have the opportunity to see the same places in person.

I’ve always enjoyed photography as a side hobby, and for the longest time, debated on taking the next step in more permanently sharing my photos with others. After encouragement from friends and family, I decided to take the leap and started JHolmes Snapshots. As much as it serves as a means for me to document and remember my adventures, it equally allows people to share in the experiences and have their own piece of my travels.

I offer a variety of art prints and stationery products, trying to my best to provide sizes and pricing options for all budgets. Art prints are available as standard paper prints, wood prints, acrylic prints, and/or metal prints in sizes ranging from 8″ x 10″ to 48″ x 60″, with matting and framing add-on options. I also offer greeting cards, magnets, zip pouches, and spiral notebooks for those looking for a smaller way of displaying their favorite photo. I’ve recently expanded my options to include luggage tags and puzzles, as well as offering wooden ornaments during the holiday seasons.

For online shopping, my website is an extension of Fine Art America, an art marketplace that offers print-on-demand services. All photos and products listed on my site are synced to Fine Art America, allowing them to be discovered, shared, and purchased by regular consumers, artists, and photographers from all over the world. Fine Art America fulfills all orders, handling the transaction to include printing, packaging , and shipping. For shopping in person, I offer limited stock of products at area craft and farmers markets, with my website highlighting upcoming events. Products are also available locally near Dayton, Ohio at Coffee Hub (Beavercreek location) and Our Cottage (Lebanon).

Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?

As someone still newly starting out, I’m open to any and all opportunities and feedback. At a local farmers market, I spent time sharing my story and chatting with someone who approached my booth. I then found out that person was the parks manager for the city of Huber Heights, Ohio, and I was so surprised when she asked if I’d be interested in doing a commissioned photography project – of course I said yes! We settled on an agreement and I had the pleasure of photographing the local neighborhood parks for the city to use on their website and social media. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to grow my business and name, spreading my reach. The project went well and I’ll can’t wait for the next shoot – I’ll be doing additional parks in the fall, highlighting new park features and sharing the autumn colors.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I’m beyond thankful to have friends who work independently or own personal businesses. It’s been a wonderful support system, being able to reach out to those close to me for advice and feedback. Their support and willingness to share networking connections has been a huge step in building my reputation so early on. To be recognized or recommended by someone with an already established business history and client base has helped incredibly.

Beyond that, I’ve found that being approachable and communicative helps to build and keep a reputation. I love to talk with everyone who asks about my travels and photography, even if it’s just sharing stories. Beyond being approachable, I think it’s important to get out of the comfort zone when communicating. I do my best to make the first move, reaching out if there’s an opportunity that catches my interest.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jenna-holmes.pixels.com
• Instagram: @jholmes_snapshots
• Facebook: JHolmes Snapshots
• Other: https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/jenna-holmes

Image Credits

Chase Kreitzer, Maygan Clark