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

Hi Jaclyn, thanks for joining us today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard

When my hobby suddenly became my career 15+ years ago, I wanted to make sure that I would always love what I do and be able to continuously share that with my clients. As I continued to grow, I really honed in my craft and all the processes that go into shooting a session, editing a session, and delivering a fantastic gallery to my clients. This created much streamlining to make the second half quick and proficient. I love what I do and with the magic of digital photography, I was taking A LOT of photos of my clients, 90% of them 5-star images. I have found that many other photographers only offer a set amount with their photo packages, where I deliver everything that looked beautiful. In the early days, I would send a set amount and found that everyone would ask if there were more, so I just gave them everything. I enjoy the editing process and it keeps my creative juices always flowing. The client had to put in work preparing for the session and then being in front of a camera, they deserve everything that I believe was beautiful.

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?

It started as a hobby and when Cord Camera shut it’s doors for good, I had to make a decision to go full time and I dove right in. I am lucky that I have been pretty successful from the start. I think that comes from creating a relationship with the clients to make sure we’re set for success and delivering awesome galleries that they will have for the rest of their lives.

While I shoot many different types of photography; Portraits, Family Lifestyle, Boudoir, and some Videography (I have a background in digital film and film editing), Weddings are the big ticket item. It can be a year or more relationship with those clients. From the first meeting, we are constantly planning everything. Sometimes at the initial meeting, we plan the whole day before they’ve even booked me. If the client doesn’t have a wedding planner, I take on that role by creating a day of timeline, which is extremely important to all aspects of a wedding day and the other wedding vendors. I am also the schedule master on the day of, keeping the entire wedding party in check and on time. Throughout this process, I get to offer suggestions and ideas for their big day and I just love that I get to be such a huge part of that. I know how to control a large group or keep it chill for small, intimate weddings (my favorite). I am also super fun, funny (goofy?), and laid back, which I think is key.

I do struggle with the large competition with talented photographers in my city. It seems like everyone is a photographer these days. Many times with wedding clients it comes down to price. While I understand everyone has a budget, I think it is super important to take into account the experience the photographer has with weddings. I have over 200+ weddings under my belt and know all the ins and outs of the whole day, things to spend money on, and things to not. There are excellent photographers in town who have great feeds on their Instagram, but if they do not rock it on a wedding day, the client will see that in their final gallery. They will also find that during a wedding day, they’re asking the photographer “What’s next?”, and that should NEVER happen. If someone is spending tens of thousands on a wedding day, you want to make sure that it is documented well. I have seen photographers who are fantastic deliver galleries that are missing KEY items from the wedding day, and there is no way to shoot that again. On the other end, if a client is having a super low-budget wedding, having a great photographer will make it look like a high-end wedding. I guess what I am saying is that when searching for a photographer, ask what their wedding experience is because it makes a difference.

I think one of the most important parts of being a photographer is to understand that 95% of your clients do not know what to do in front of the camera, and that is where I shine. Anyone that says “I
m super awkward in front of the camera” sets up the challenge that I love and succeed in. I am really, really good at posing folks of all shapes, sizes, colors, and personalities. It really bothers me when I see other photographers not guiding their clients throughout the entire process, from wardrobe to every single situation we use to get the final product. I also set my clients up to make sure that the poses are natural. I am always striving to shoot real love between couples or families.

I own a studio in a super hip part of town with a giant wall of windows for perfect natural light. For my life-long clients, I like to switch back and forth between the studio and a location to keep their yearly photos diverse.

I offer mini-session in the fall, and this has become a big event. When I post sign-ups, they fill up within the day. This can be up to 100 families that I shoot over the course of a week. I pick a location with lots of photo spots and even a few “sets” for the holidays. It’s an in-and-out process that is easy for small children. That’s why it is great for families with young children to document their growth, and for folks who just want some sweet photos of themselves.

I absolutely love what I do. I love the entire process. I put in a ton of work editing to make sure everyone looks perfect. If clients need extra tweaking, I get it done.

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

I was working for Cord Camera as a lab tech developing film and printing photos. While I was working I had many friends and families ask to do a photo session. I was posting some work on Facebook which was a great place to start marketing my work. I did a couple of weddings and started second-shooting with established photographers in town. Cord Camera had to close its doors and I was in a panic, but I knew I was making money with these sessions. I decided to not look for another job and work on a career. I remember setting up a desk in my apartment and trying to come up with a cool name so I could set up an LCC and become official. My grandmother is the artistic person in my family and calls me Coley, so, Coley & Co became the name. Before I knew it I was booking weddings and boudoir sessions. I met a lot of folks at those weddings and the family side started to bloom as well. I upgraded my gear, which was a big expense, but everything worked out and I continued to be successful. I am very grateful that I create art as a career. Owning my own business gives me so much flexibility and also time for me and my loved ones.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Weddings: When I first started shooting weddings I was learning the flow of the day and how to capture what was needed. After delivering a gallery, the bride asked if there were more pictures of her mom, and I realized that I did not schedule that into the day, I didn’t have a schedule at all! It was a hard lesson because I obviously couldn’t go back and shoot her again. This developed into me creating a timeline so that nothing is missed. The family part of a wedding can feel tedious on the big day, but it is an absolute must-have. Folks are busy socializing and doing many things and it’s easy for them to be elsewhere. This also taught me to focus heavily on the family members throughout the day. My sister had a destination wedding and her sisters were the bridal party, I found that there were barely any photos of us, and that really nagged at me. Family is forever, they need to be the focus.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.coleyandco.com
• Instagram: @coleyandco