We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jamie Pratt a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jamie , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?
I’ve been earning a full-time living from my business since 2018. I had graduated college in 2017 and worked part-time in music and youth ministry at the church I was attending for the following year. I honestly never expected to pursue full-time photography, but as I was applying for jobs in my field, a few months in I realized I was really happy making ends meet with photography and there was no reason for me to try and “get a real job.” I had already built a business and it was providing everything that I needed for me and was a way to connect with my community.
I feel very fortunate for the way it all worked out. I worked my way through college by photographing weddings on the weekends and taking photos for various departments in my university. Building my skills and portfolio throughout those years brought me a fairly steady flow of clients during my first full-time season. I still lived with several roommates, driving a beat-up car and living very frugally, but I vividly remember the moment that it clicked for me, when I realized I was paying for my whole life through my photography.
Now 7 years later it’s fun to look back and see just how my business has grown. In some ways I would love to have known about Roth IRAs and business licenses and tax write-offs and all of the logistical pieces early on. But I’m mostly just grateful to be where I am now, to be able to live in a neighborhood I love, to travel with my husband, to create my own schedule and work with such incredible clients.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m a photographer and 16mm filmmaker working primarily in Nashville, Tennessee and Denver, Colorado. I’ve loved photography for as long as I can remember. My mom documented much of my childhood on a 35mm film camera, and I’ve been sorting through boxes of old photos for months now. I had never considered it as a career to pursue, but photos and visual arts were always a part of my life. The start of my business came in high school, after I had worked at a local sandwich shop to save up for a “real camera,” and friends offered me some money to take their senior portraits. Still pursuing other careers, I used photography to help pay for college after moving to Nashville in 2014. The wedding photography community there was so welcoming, and I was assisting almost every weekend. That turned into weddings of my own, and eventually after graduating I realized I could simply create my own job and lifestyle! I’ve been full-time now since about 2018, and every year my business has grown as I’ve found more of my voice and my passions within it. These days my work is about 50% weddings and 50% events and branding. Weddings will likely always have my heart, but I’ve been able to work with some really cool brands over the past few years.
The niche I’ve fallen into is film. Both film photography and film video. There aren’t many of us who make videos with 16mm film in Nashville or Denver, and it’s been such a fun medium to play with and learn from. The clients who choose to book me for film are also some of the coolest people, and it’s such a fun way to connect. Being invited into people’s lives in this way is so special, and not something I take lightly.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I think with many photographers and filmmakers, it often comes back to story. It does for me too. But especially in the wedding and portrait world, I’ve found myself often coming back to the value of the stories themselves. You have so much value. Your story has so much value. These moments that I’m often invited into, whether welcoming a newborn home or sharing wedding vows with your partner, they are moments worthy of being captured in a beautiful and timeless manner. From the mundane to the extraordinary. I think I have a unique position behind my camera to capture a moment in a way that feels incredibly real when you look back on it. Capturing the quiet holding of hands is far more special to me than getting the best portfolio shot of my career.
To put it simply, I hope that my photography can help people see the beauty and wonder within themselves and their stories.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
One of the best sources of new clients for me has been referrals from fellow photographers in town. Nashville specifically has a very close knit group of photographers, and we’re all more than happy to pass referrals to each other when we’re unavailable or someone else might be a better fit! I’m so grateful for this community.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jamieprattphotos.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jamieprattco
- Other: https://vimeo.com/jamieprattfilms
