We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jazmin Garcia a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jazmin , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you 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?

After 3 years of pursuing photography as a “side gig”/hobby I now, in year 5 have established my career in a way that I am able to do photography full time. I started off photographing anything and anyone that would allow me to. From my first born daughter, to my friends’ children, sports, seniors, families, you name it and I was willing to photograph it for the extra practice. It wasn’t until 2021 when Covid hit and my job laid me off that I realized this is something I would love to do full time. I had a newborn baby at home, so what a perfect time to try to go full time and work on my own schedule. I say ‘try’ to go full time because although I was willing to put in the physical time it takes to go full time I was still a newbie photographer with newbie prices. Fast forward to 2023 and after years of praying, investing, and a supportive community, I felt I was finally perfecting my craft and I discovered my love for photographing couples and weddings. I went from charging $40 an hour to $400+ per session. With a supportive partner at home, I was able to take my full time- non paying business into a full time-financially stable business. It took me around 3 years to feel established. Looking back I probably would have invested in higher quality equipment from the beginning and started charging more than $40. This would have allowed me to grow as a photographer a little faster than I did. There are so many free educational courses, and information online that is available for beginner photographers now that when I started 5 years ago that was not a thing. So, if I was to restart today, I feel like there would be a lot more that would help me speed up my going full time process, which is encouraging news to anyone that wants to venture into the photography business.

Jazmin , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Jazmin Garcia, founder of JazminGphoto, LLC. I am a professional photographer that specializes in weddings and couples. I first picked up a camera that was gifted to me when my first daughter was 3 months old. I started off taking photos of her for every month, milestone, every holiday, she was the best little model. This career has given me so much time with my two daughters. I have not missed a beat since the time my oldest was born, and this would not have been possible if I was still working a serving job like I had for so many years prior to pursuing photography. I am a stay at home mom, that doubles as a full time wedding photographer and homeschool teacher. My business would not be what it is today if I didn’t decide to invite Jesus into this part of my life. I tried to keep my relationship with Christ and my business separate and it failed. When I realized I didn’t have to keep the two separate my business flourished. Therefore, I use my social- business platforms to remind everyone of Jesus’ love and promises. I am most proud of the way I serve everyone I meet and work with; I don’t just take photos. I walk into every session and every wedding with a heart full of gratitude and love for my clients.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the fact that no one can duplicate you and your art. You are uniquely you, and although a lot of art/ photography is inspired by others there will always be something special about yours because you can’t be duplicated.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I started off growing my following with giveaways and this works to an extent. It’s a good way to have people share your page with their following and get your name out there. Although, I’ve learned free things only keep people following for so long. It’s important to be personable, show your face, and your personality so that people understand who they are supporting. Lastly, remember that social media is forever changing so just be consistent, keep showing up, and keep posting.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jazmingphoto.mypixieset.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jazmingphotollc?igsh=b21oMWc5d2ZzNmJ5&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jazminwithazphotohraphy/

Image Credits

JazminGphoto