Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Youngson.

Hi Jessica, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started my love for taking pictures when I was in elementary school. I use to steal my grandmother’s flip phone and take pictures at different angles with it. Once I got into high school, I started taking a photography class and fell even more involve with the art. My grandfather bought me my first DSLR camera with a kit lens (18-55mm) my sophomore year of high school. After that, it became clear to me that I would do photography as a career path. Ever since I graduated high school I have been working on my photography. In 2021, I became an official photography business when we moved to Alabama.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has not been a smooth road. My husband is in the Army so we move a lot. Each time we move I need have to pretty much re establish my business in the new area and grow a clientele.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I do lifestyle photography portraits. This means that instead of placing my clients in a stagnant pose and have them smiling at the camera, I set them in a general pose and then encourage my clients to interact with each other. The kid’s favorite pose is doing a tickle fight with their parents. I am most proud of how my business is doing in Alabama. When we moved here I was afraid my business wouldn’t do well since this area has a lot of movement with people moving to the area for school and then moving away after they graduate. Luckily for me, I have clients that come back to the area just to have a session with me or tell their friends about me. The things that set me apart from my competitors is that I genuinely enjoy what I do. While the money helps keep my business going and provides for my family, I am in this field because I love capturing special moments for people. I love to see the love between families and celebrate their accomplishments with them. I have also started up a client closet for my business where my clients can borrow dresses from me for their sessions so they do not have to spend extra money on clothes or have to go through the hassle of finding the perfect outfit for their session.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I see a lot more photo manipulation in photography in the next 5-10 years. We are already starting to see it now with the use of AI to help create backgrounds and scenes that would normally take photographers weeks or months to create from scratch. Now all they have to do is type it into the computer and AI will create it for them. I also see lifestyle photography getting more popular. Clients are starting to shy away from the traditional sit and smile poses and want to see more personality in their portraits.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://youngsonphotography.mypixieset.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youngson_photography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YoungsonPhoto