We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Brittany Jenkins. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Brittany below.

Brittany, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s kick things off with a hypothetical question – if it were up to you, what would you change about the school or education system to better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career?

I think in general the education system does not prepare us for the real world in many ways. One of these ways is in really educating students the vast array of jobs that exist, specifically within niche industries. When looking specifically at photography within the arts, there are so many photography jobs that exist. Wedding and portraits perhaps being the most obvious, but you could also look at sports photography, events, food and beverage, branding, real estate, or marine photography, to name a few. And then within each of those you can even get more specific. Maybe you just want to focus on one specific sport or event, or you only want to photograph at a certain type of venue, you want to only do branding sessions for small business owners, etc. When I was in high school, I remember taking a photography class as my art elective and loved it. We worked with film cameras and learned the ways of the dark room, and worked with digitals, learning a few of the many ways you can play with photos in photoshop. It was possible to assist in sports photography for the schools sporting events. But outside of that, I don’t recall there ever being a conversation about the many avenues one could take to have a career in the photography world. I do recognize that photography has grown immensely since I was in high school, but I would have loved for there to have been purposeful conversations around exploring different kinds of photography, and what a career in each of those might have looked like. This is also something that, in my opinion, should be done in all classrooms, no matter the subject. I encourage educators to make sure they are doing all they can to not only help students explore the many ways to work within an industry, but to encourage them to first think about the options, and then to help them think outside the box.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a natural light portrait and wedding photographer, currently focused in motherhood, couples, and seniors. Originally from Texas, I have always been involved in the arts in some way. While I enjoy all things crafty, a majority of my life has actually been spent in the performing arts in dance and musical theatre. When COVID hit, the performance industry was completely shut down, which allowed me to dive into photography as a way to help pass the time. I quickly discovered ways that photography was not only bringing me joy and allowing me to serve others but that it could also help provide for my future. Since then, I have immersed myself in continuing education on all things photography, from the technicalities of how to use my camera and edit photos that match my brand, to how to help create a fun and comfortable client experience. The feedback I receive most from clients is how fun and easy the sessions are. Most people come into photography sessions, wanting the photos but are stressed about posing or feeling awkward in front of the camera. Almost every session I’ve had ends with my clients commenting on how easy the process was and how time seemed to fly by, specifically the husbands or significant others who tend to dread the process going in the most. I pride myself on being able to help clients have an experience they actually enjoy, while also being able to provide beautiful photos they can frame around the house or have printed in albums for friends and family to enjoy and look back on for generations.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

The best source of new business for me this far has been word of mouth and Facebook groups. I’m part of several community Facebook groups and try to stay active in those. When I see someone in need of a photographer, I offer my services and tell them a bit about myself. Often times if the person who made the post doesn’t reach out to me, someone else who saw my comment does. Facebook has also been a great resource any time I need to do a model call, as it not only helps to grow my email list, but adds more people from those specific Facebook communities to my existing client list, naturally helping to grow my network for word of mouth referrals.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding part of being a creative is getting to share it with others! In addition to photography, I have spent my life active in the performing arts through dance and musical theatre. Interacting with clients, doing everything I can to make their experience joyful and seamless, brings me the same excitement and joy as working on a show with other performers. Both art forms allow me to use my creativity to craft a piece of art that I get to share with others through feeling and seeing their reactions to their experience with me. It’s such a beautiful and joyous way to spend my time. I feel very lucky to do so!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://brittanyannphotography.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brittannphotos/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrittAnnPhotogrpahy

Image Credits

Photos by Brittany Ann Photography