Today we’d like to introduce you to Jolene S. B.

Hi Jolene, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?

Becoming a photographer was never the plan. I had many different creative stints, wanting to be everything from a fashion designer to a comics illustrator, and I always thrived in whatever artistic pursuit I picked up. I took a couple of basic photography classes in high school – like many other mediums I tried, I loved it. I didn’t have a great camera, and my family was far too poor to afford anything remotely advanced. That didn’t stop me from trying to get the best shots I could with my mom’s little Canon Powershot digicam. It wasn’t great but it was impressive for being such a simple camera.

Moving to Chicago to pursue my dreams in the city was both the hardest and also the best decision I ever made. I was very young, scraping by, picking up various side jobs to support myself – one of them being modeling. I started working with photographers of all different levels and styles, posing for a huge variety of concepts and getting published in a handful of magazines. It was hard work, but fun and satisfying too. I loved talking with the photographers and learning about their workflow, how they were structuring the lighting and what angles they were shooting from and what gear they were using. As I got my feet under me and life began to calm down, I saved up for a refurbished Canon Rebel to use for self-portraits. I fell in love with the medium all over again, using the window light in my kitchen and homemade backdrops to create dramatic scenes with myself as the model.

I became impatient with the self-portrait process and started working with models to build a digital photography portfolio from scratch. I knew it would be years before I could do anything serious with it, but I had to start somewhere. I slowly learned from reading and researching and practicing what I’d read about, over and over and over. I learned so much from the photographers that I befriended, I am forever grateful for their endless tips and experienced advice. I built myself a website, got my work on social media, and crafted a portfolio that reflected what I wanted to book. Over a span of seven years, I honed in on my style and offerings, and found success as a portrait and event/wedding photographer. It’s been a long journey, but absolutely worth every step.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

Being a self-educated photographer (or any type of artist) is never easy. There is so much imposter syndrome that comes with it when you feel compared to people who have more skill and more resources than you do. It’s a highly competitive industry, there are so many other artists who will always be “better” than me in one way or another. The amazing thing about it though – there are so many clients who are looking for someone who does work just like me (or you, or any other photographer). Honing my technical skills has been huge, but also honing in on my creative vision and finding my signature style has been an equally huge journey.

I have spent many years learning my craft and honing my technical skills, improving my compositions and pursuing different creative ideas. Over those years, I have received so many different types of reactions and responses and critiques of my work, and the good have always far outweighed the bad. It doesn’t make those negative voices any less loud sometimes, and letting go of that negativity isn’t always easy. Learning to focus on myself, my own healing, and my own growth has helped me let go of those negative voices and focus on the good in my life. Whenever I lean into the good, I see growth in my business.

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

I am best known for my portrait photography, I specialize in creative conceptual portraits and have a huge love for pet portraiture too. I’m also known for being the founder of a photography meet-up group in Chicago called Queer Photo Club, designed to bring LGBTQ+ artists together for creative portfolio building and networking. My ability learn new skills and pick up artistic mediums is something that sets me apart from my peers, I am constantly growing my abilities and learning how to better my craft. In recent years, I have expanded my skillset to include wedding photography as well as 35mm film photography. 35mm film is a medium that I have fallen in love with, and the vast majority of my clients these days are interested in film too. I am so happy that it has continued to make a comeback, and I think that as our world becomes more and more digital, people will value it’s permanence and physicality even more.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?

Learning to care for myself above everything else has been the most important lesson I’ve had to learn a few times over. Pushing myself to the point of breaking is never a good thing, finding a sustainable pace has been the ultimate key to success.

Self-care, diving deeper into my personal spirituality and nature-focused practices, practicing sports that help keep my body healthy, and learning to listen to my body – these practices have all been paramount to my success as a photographer. I wouldn’t be able to run a business the way I do if I was abusing my body instead of listening to what it needs. When I take care of my body and my mind, I’m able to better serve my clients and achieve greater things year by year. I had to learn this lesson the hard way more than once, in different ways each time. Since I have adopted a philosophy of focusing on self-care and healing, I have been significantly better supported through difficult times that previously would have left me emotionally devastated, not wanting to get out of bed for days at a time. Instead, I’ve been able to pick myself back up immediately and bounce back for something even better. You can’t run on an empty battery, self-care is vital to your success as an artist.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jolenesagephotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jolene__x4/

Image Credits

Portrait of Jolene: Jim Brodie Photo
All other photos: Jolene Sage Photography