Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Annabel Jennings. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Annabel thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with important influences in our lives. Is there a historical figure you look up to?

Vincent Van Gogh has always been one of my greatest artistic inspirations. Beyond his obvious mastery of color, I have always found it incredibly inspiring that he managed to focus his art almost entirely on the beauty he saw in the world around him despite the endless struggles he dealt with throughout his life. I have tried to mimic the same approach to art in my work.

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 have been practicing photography for the past 14 years. I was originally attracted to photography as a child after reading National Geographic with my grandfather and learning that people worked for the magazine as photographers, exploring the world and capturing beautiful images of the world around us. When I first started out, I would shoot absolutely anything I could. I took portraits of friends and family, dabbled in landscape photography, and discovered my greatest passion, event photography.

After participating in marching band myself in high school, I went to as many of the band’s performances and contests after I graduated to practice in a variety of lighting situations. Eventually, I photographed a few weddings (some as a second shooter for other photographers and some as the primary photographer) and locked down my first few paid event jobs. I immediately fell in love with the challenge of capturing fleeting moments and turning them into wonderful works of art.

In 2013, I got my first job as a studio photographer and began to rapidly improve my portraiture. I was quickly promoted to the studio’s lead photographer and filled that role for about a year. During my time at the studio, I learned to focus on bringing out the unique personality of each client in a session. As I’ve grown as a photographer, I’ve always tried to keep this focus and bring out the personality and joy of my clients by making sessions a fun and memorable experience for them.

For the last ten years, I have been serving in the Navy as a Nuclear Electronics Technician, but I have continued to work as a photographer at every opportunity I can. While I primarily focus on portraiture and event photography, I have also taken on all types of sessions.

For the past few years, I have had the opportunity to help form and then lead the creation of a media department for one of the nuclear program’s training commands. This proved to be a wonderful opportunity that allowed me to work creatively with photography on a much more consistent basis. Additionally, I was even able to expand my skill set to include videography, graphic design, and social media management for a much larger audience than my own.

Throughout my career, I have tried to differentiate myself as an artist by perfecting a high-contrast, vibrant style. This initially led to me pushing my editing way too far, but I have worked hard over the years to find the right balance, leading to images that I believe stand out from many others and grab the attention of viewers.

My overall goal with my art is to help others capture the most important moments of their lives, whether that be portraits, important milestones such as weddings, or other events such as performances. As a parent myself, I know how meaningful capturing these moments can be, especially with how lackluster mainstream photography companies that often work with schools can be.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

I try to maintain strong relationships with my clients through building real connections and relationships. Before each session, I like to meet with clients if possible to discuss what their goals for the session are and get to know them personally in a much more relaxed environment. This process not only helps me better meet their needs, but also helps build trust with the client that I will be able to create meaningful photos for them. I have built many lasting relationships with clients that return for regular photos. This experience has been such a joy to me as I get to share meaningful milestones with clients and even watch some of their children grow over the years.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I believe that my passion has given me a great reputation with those I’ve worked with. Photography truly is my great passion in life, and I believe that my constant drive to create the best images possible is apparent to clients and helps them feel at ease when working with me.

Contact Info:

• Website: ishtarimages.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ishtarimages?igsh=d3VqeGVvODJzbjlm&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IshtarImages
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/IshtarImages