We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jen Voce-Nelson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jen, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Some of the most interesting parts of our journey emerge from areas where we believe something that most people in our industry do not – do you have something like that?
Cooperation leading to you losing jobs to the competition.
I’m an extrovert. It may be why I excelled at one of the hardest parts of photography: being able to connect with your subject. It came natural to me.
When I first began working in the photography industry, it very much felt like every person for themselves. It was hard to have friends in a solo industry because one of those colleagues could take a job from you. You always had to be on your guard, looking over your shoulder. It sows distrust and fear and a whole heap of anxiety. It wasn’t how I wanted to work.
I’m doing my best to unlearn this mentality and behavior. In doing so, I’ve met a ton of phenomenal photographers. They are experienced and willing to answer my questions. And I’m returning the favor, fostering relationships with people who are interested in photography but don’t know where or how to start.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
The moment I realized photography was something I could do was a fateful trip to the Picture People back in 2004. I was a Girl Scout and about to receive the Gold Award (the equivalent of an Eagle Scout in Boy Scouts). Recipients needed to get a head shot from the Picture People for the booklet at the ceremony. Sitting there having my picture taken, hearing photographers around me working to get smiles from toddlers and parents, I turned to my mom and said, “I can do this.” And I did. I applied for a job the first summer of my college year. The company started me in sales, which was intimidating. It involved cold calling people and selling photo packages, but it taught me a lot about how to just strike up a conversation and find that connection. After a few weeks, one of the photographers there, Brian Francis, threw the camera in my hands and told me it was my turn. I was anxious at first, but it felt natural and I soon became one of the top photographers at the location.
I never took any photography classes, although sometimes I wish I had. Then again, it allowed me to try photography across so many different genres: portrait, event, sports, weddings, promotional, product, and even industrial photography. If I don’t know how to photograph something, I’m willing to figure it out.
The other skill set I brought into photography with me is my time in education. It has really helped me to learn tricks on how to engage kids of all ages, from the shy to the willfully independent. Capturing who people are instead of only posing them in the typical way feels rewarding.
Has your business ever had a near-death moment? Would you mind sharing the story?
I’m sure I won’t be the only one, but COVID really knocked me and my business down. At the time, I was working for a number of organizations besides my own. One of these companies was the bread and butter, the one that allowed me to go full time in photography in 2013. That one fired every contracted photographer by mail. A letter with $13 postage arrived in January 2021 informing me that my contract was terminated. Unemployment would end a few months later, and I didn’t know if I’d be able to make enough money to continue on my photography journey.
It turned out to be the saving grace for my company. I was able to focus my efforts on my own business, open up my schedule to other opportunities, and make it work for me instead of for a higher entity. I came back from the pandemic as strong as I had going into it, and in 2022, I made more money than I had ever in my entire time of photographing. I can’t wait to see what 2023 brings.
We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.
2013 was the year everything changed for the better. It was the year the New York Mets were hosting the All-Star Game and the Home Run Derby. I had been a Mets fan since the day I was born, and had loved baseball just as long. I wanted to go to both, but knew I couldn’t afford it, so I instead applied for a job. It was as a Fan Photographer. I was able to use the skills I had developed with the Picture People, walking up to groups of fans and gathering them for a quick photo before sending them to their seats. I loved talking to people coming to the ballpark, Mets fans or not, because I saw it as my home to share with them.
My day job was in education. I was working in a program for pre-schoolers with special needs, and I was burnt out. A friend of mine, a fellow photographer named Matt Turri, was moving off the Island. He was leaving behind a job photographing doctors in the area, and wanted me to have it after him. It would mean going full time into photography, something I had only gleamed at. My partner and I talked it over, and we both knew this was the opportunity I had been waiting for. September of 2013 was the last time I had a typical day job, and I haven’t looked back since.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.avocebehindthelens.com
- Instagram: @avocebehindthelens
- Facebook: Photography by aVoceBehindtheLens
- Twitter: @avocebehindthelens
Image Credits
NOT THIS, quick side note. Another thing I did in photography that really has helped shape me. Sorry, completely forgot and here you’ve given me one more text box: In 2013, I brought my camera to a New York Empire game. They are the American Ultimate Disc League men’s team in New York. One of the co-owners and a friend of mine asked me to become the team photographer. I mentioned earlier that I love sports, and Ultimate is my absolute favorite. It is the only sport where you cannot win by yourself. I immediately said yes. It was their first year and the league was trying to gain traction, so I wanted to do everything I could to help it along the way. I saw photographing it as my contribution. A few years ago, another league came into being, the Premier Ultimate League. The Premier Ultimate League is open to any female, nonbinary, genderqueer, genderfluid, intersex, or transgender person age 18 or older. When I heard about this league, I wanted more than anything to help them in the same way I had with the AUDL. That opportunity came in 2022, when the New York Gridlock approached me and asked me to become their team photographer. I couldn’t say yes fast enough. I have loved working with both of these organizations, and it makes me immensely proud to help bring their stories to the world through my photographs.