We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jennifer Meade of Sepia Sisters Photography a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jennifer, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
Photography is a healthy mix of camera knowledge, creativity, and working with great equipment, I started my career at Franklin Pierce University in Rindge NH. I graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts in 2008. From there, the economy fell and I had to re-think my daily career. I reverted to what I already knew from working in a pharmacy during summer college breaks, and continued doing so for 15 years. Needless to say, my camera skills were rusty and my spark had dulled. Fast forward to 2019 when Covid hit, and everyone had to pick up hobbies to keep from going stir crazy . Well, I picked up my camera again and started shooting what I found most interesting: abandoned places. By exploring places and documenting it as I went, I was able to re-teach myself the skills I had learned over a decade ago. Then, once that passion ignited, I ran with it. I started watching tutorials on editing in Lightroom, how to get certain effects with the camera, and what equipment I needed to get the best shots. By 2020, I felt confident enough to go out shooting with other photographers, one of which being my (soon-to-be) sister-in-law. Then by 2021, we had established a business together and set out to building it from the bottom up. There has been a lot of learning along the way- we learned that it takes a lot of advertising to get the word out. But- word of mouth is the best form of advertising.
Jennifer, 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?
When my business was first established, we did not know what types of photo shoots we were going to do. In the beginning, we accepted any and all shoots to help build our portfolio. But, as we grew and did many different shoots, we found that we love to do the unique lifestyle shoots that you don’t see everyday. We also, as woman, want to help empower and build confidence of other woman. That’s why we have found our specialty to be with Waterfall Boudoir shoots. We live in the NH and VT region of the United States, and the waterfalls are gorgeous here. We have combined the idea of Boudoir with the beautiful landscape that is in our backyard. We offer these shoots in July and August, but then in September we start our seasonal spooky shoots. We also love to work with smoke bombs, and the Halloween season is the perfect time to use them. There is a lot of trial and error with them, and it’s not easy to predict what sort of pictures you’ll get out of that shoot.
How’d you meet your business partner?
I started dating my then-boyfriend, now-fiancé back in 2019. When we started to get know each other, we also met each other’s family. One of his family members was his sister, Sarah. When Covid hit, we started going out to different outdoor photography adventures. We would swap ideas back and forth, and help each other get better. Eventually, we did our first wedding together. We found that we work really well together! From that, we just continued to grow until we finally decided to create a business together in 2021.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My goal is to expand my creative outlet through photography. I want to create images with models that are particularly difficult to get, and haven’t been done before. I wish to expand my knowledge into better editing skills, and create illusions with my photos. In a sense, I want all my images to be real photographs with a fantasy element to them.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sepiasisters.com
- Instagram: @sepiasistersphotography
- Facebook: @Sepia Sisters Photography
- Other: email: [email protected]