Today we’d like to introduce you to Jordan Lloyd

Hi Jordan, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?

Oof how I got here? A happy accident mixed with some serious time investment and practice if that’s even possible?!

This all started as a hobby- just something I enjoyed doing. I loved taking pictures, having pictures of me and my favorite humans, all of it. I got one of the first starter mirrorless cameras when I was in high school, might have even been middle school, and my friends and I would have “photoshoots” all the time. While it was obviously all for fun and are nothing to the degree of what I shoot now, I did feel like I have some sort of talent at it! No shade whatsoever to any of my friends from that time period, but I just remember always thinking, “damnit- the ones I took of them are so much better than the ones they took of me”. But that’s also why I became a photographer and they became doctors!

Anywho, that’s where it started. How it progressed? It just kind of snowballed from there and I accredit that all to saying yes to things! With having a nice camera and not really having cost associated, I got asked to do a few sessions and just said yes to them- my collegiate dance team, some family photos, a senior who really didn’t want their picture taken, and so on. People kept asking more times, for more types of sessions and I just kept saying yes! And then eventually someone asked about a wedding and instead of saying yes, I said more of a, “uhm are you sure? why me? I guess? okay, maybe? fine”. I couldn’t fathom that someone wanted to take their most important life celebration that they’ve poured time and money into and put the fate to capture it all in my hands. But they did. And I did it. And I’m forever thankful to them.

I use that wedding date, July 7th 2018, as the unofficial official start date of Jordan Lloyd Photography, because that was the first day I woke up and would have said out loud to someone, “yeah I’m a photographer”. And now here I am, going on 6 years and it’s been CRAZY- absolutely nuts. But also the most amazing journey thus far, and I’m really just getting started. I was a few days shy of my 21st birthday when I shot my first wedding, shaking in my boots, and now how many dozens of weddings later, almost 27 years old, living my actual dream.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

Honestly, it has externally been such a smooth road. I have had the best freakin’ people continue to believe and invest in me and my business. I wouldn’t change anything about any of it from that angle.

The bumpiest part of my journey has been solely internal- imposter syndrome, burnout, stress, strain on personal relationships, overthinking, that kind of fun stuff that comes with the package of being a human and having a human brain, especially as a self-made entrepreneur.

With building my business and continuing to teach myself the things I wanted to not only learn but excel at, took a lot of practice. A LOT of practice and it got to be a big undertaking. I started out managing a business and building my portfolio when I was also a full time college student. Then continued doing so while having a full time job. And it’s only been the last six months that I finally cracked and went down to part time at my day job. Because believe it or not, working 8-5, leaving to go shoot a session, then going home to edit until my I can’t keep my eyes open was NOT sustainable. Wild right? Who would’ve thought.

Balancing a world where your work and investment in yourself as an entrepreneur is top dog is hard and the “hustle” truly never stops. But the good news is, eventually, you get to a point where you realize that although you may be your entire business, your business isn’t all you are. And once you get to that part of the path, your cup starts to get a lot fuller in every area.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?

I am a Quad Cities based + available anywhere photographer, capturing some of life’s coolest moments for some of life’s coolest people. I specialize in Wedding + Engagement, Senior, and Lifestyle photography.

I capture your favorite moments with your favorite people, the ones you don’t get to see from the sidelines. I don’t want to just capture the real and the authentic, I want to push through the awkward to get to the fun. I’m just there to prompt the moments and showcase them in a way that makes you feel everything you felt in that moment.

I am a lover of good times and good people and for me, photography combines the two. I love being able to document the times and people that matter most in someone’s world and give them back a gift that they will have forever. As a person, I love LOVE and happy human interaction in all forms- on wedding days, whether it’s the love of mom getting to zip up her daughter’s dress and crying because she’s “just so beautiful” or the best man giving his speech about all the “crazy things they did that he just can’t mention right now” or the small moments between the couple where I can just TELL they’re like so psyched to be with each other through life. The chaotic love in family photos when the kid won’t look at the camera but they were PROMISED ice cream after if they would. Experiencing pregnancy for the first time and waiting for your whole world to change. Even seniors- the love they have for the years that just passed them by and the excitement of what’s coming next in the fall. It’s all so damn RAD and I love being immersed in it all the freaking time.

I love the feeling of showing some of life’s coolest people an art form version of what they live every day- whether it’s their family in a casual setting or documenting the big and small moments of a wedding. I think pictures give us the most beautiful way to see ourselves and our own lives, the amazing moments in them, the ones we don’t get to watch from the sidelines (like we’re watching the movie of our life). Photos are some of the only things you get to take with you- material items fade and sometimes so do memories, better capture them while they’re there. And it just makes me happy to see people happy.

It’s important to me that the photos you have, remind you of how you felt in that moment. To capture the little moments and the big ones. I want to make you laugh at what you’re doing because it feels out of the norm or awkward. I want you to enjoy yourself and feel natural, when you’re in a situation that isn’t natural.

Happiness inspires me. Happiness inspires my work. I want to evoke happiness. Are we all happy all the time? Absolutely not. But regardless of what emotion is being captured in a photo, there’s some element of happiness attached to it. Whether you’re happy because you’re in love, because you’re thankful for the time you got with someone you lost, for the future that is coming with the people you admire most, whatever it is. I want you to look at your photos and feel happiness, even on days when it’s harder to see than most.

We have a good time. We have fun. We don’t take shit seriously. We take your vision along with mine and mesh them together to create something awesome.

What were you like growing up?

Jordan Lloyd growing up huh? How much time do you have??

I think people who knew me in any chapter of my life thus far would not be shocked that I am the exact person I turned out to be today. A quick core fact about me and growing up- I’m an only child and the literal center of my parents universe HOWEVER, a spoiled brat, I was not. And that’s not me in denial of it- for years, I have gotten the comment from so many people both personally and professionally that they would have “never guessed I was an only child- I don’t act like it at all”. So my parents did a kickass job making sure I wasn’t a piece of work. Well, I kind of am but not in a spoiled kind of way!

With the only child fact, I also am from rural Illinois/Iowa or to envision it, “cornfields”. So needless to say- I made my own fun! Huge imagination, a lot of play pretend, a lot of occupying my own time and keeping myself entertained- which I can still do pretty well.

I have always been a people person and care deeply for everyone and everything, including inanimate objects sometimes- I was the kid that really took the Toy Story series to heart and assume every single thing has feelings even if they’re pretending to just be a toy! Don’t even get me started on the first time I went to Disney world- I go back at 27 and feel the exact same way. I am a certified Disney adult.

I found my chatterbox in fourth grade. I will never forget my first report card that said “Jordan talks a lot during class and can be disruptive”. Unfortunately for my teachers and parents, and now the rest of society, that never really went away- whoops. So I was a talker, I liked to make people laugh, and I loved being as involved with everything I could from a young age- dance, softball, basketball. As I got older, putting even more things on my plate- show choir, student council, anything that could keep me busy and with my friends.

I have always been a right-brained human. I would rather create, color, write, etc versus do anything involving math or science. Crafts and recess was where I thrived.

Long story short, I grew up a chatty fun busybody and I am still growing up as such! But there’s not much I would change about the way I grew up, the life I’ve been given, or where I’m at today. A pretty lucky lady- that’s a given.

Contact Info:

• Website: I am currently going through an entire amazing rebrand with a brand new website so check my socials for it’s launch SOON!
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jordanlloydphotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JordanLloydPhotos/

Image Credits
Jordan Lloyd Photography