We recently connected with Jena McJunkin and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jena, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

I recently had the opportunity to work on a project with Wilderton down in Arizona. It was one of the largest projects I’ve done to date. I was leading a team of nearly ten people for a seventeen-hour day. By the end I was completely exhausted. While it was a long and at times, difficult day, it was also one of the best learning opportunities I’ve had. Even the preproduction had its challenges; bringing in so many people, creating such a large shot list, organizing, and coordinating everyone’s schedules, and the list goes on and on. There were moments leading up to this shoot where I was unsure if I was going to be able to hold up under the pressure. With so much money on the line I felt like I really had to knock this project out of the park. I hardly slept the day before the shoot. The night prior, I set my alarm for 4am knowing full well that I would get maybe an hour of sleep. Bright and early my alarm went off. I got up unsure if I had slept at all, rounded up the morning crew for the sunrise shoot and set off for the mountains. Feeling my nerves at an all-time high, we arrived at the lookout, connected with the brand rep, and got started. This was it. I started shooting and the emotional side of my brain clicked off and the only thing I was thinking about was the shot list and viewpoint of my camera. We cruised through the photos, somehow ending right on time. I was feeling good. We made our way to base and prepped for the second half of the day. Before I knew it we were heading down the dusty desert roads to a remote campsite where we would finish out the shoot. This is where the majority of the shots were to be taken. When we arrived temps were soaring around 100 degrees fahrenheit. I was struggling under the heat, even though I was trying to pretend I wasn’t. Right from the start the talent was amazing. We made our way through the various scenes and set ups. The crew truly couldn’t have been better. The respect they all had for one another, their ability to keep morale up (which was important when it was over 100 degrees and we were shooting next to an open fire), and their professionalism made the shoot a breeze. That’s not to say that it wasn’t a lot of work, but having a good crew that is confident and capable made all the difference in the world. Finally, the sun set and I took my last shots of the day. I felt my chest lighten, I took a deep breath in and felt proud of the team I had to work with and the project that we had completed. This job pushed not only my creative skills but my leadership and my pre production skills. It was an amazing project and a big steppingstone for my future work.

Jena, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a commercial photographer and filmmaker based out of Seattle, Washington. Specializing in capturing candid content to create unique and captivating stories. I strive to create work that brings life and emotion to even the smallest of products. With engaging content I showcase products, places, people, and emotions that help convey the heart and ethos of a company. All imagery tells a story, and it is my passion to create timeless and meaningful content that inspires and engages people.

I grew up with a fascination for photography and film. I was often stealing the family camcorder to make home movies. I got my first camera in high school and started messing around with lighting, composition, and editing styles. It wasn’t until college that I started doing paid shoots. I began with senior portraits and family photos. After I graduated I knew I wanted to make a career out of photography but wasn’t sure I wanted to continue doing portrait work. I started reaching out to brands asking if they would be interested in doing trade deals. After about a dozen shoots of that nature I made my first real pitch to a brand to work with them on a professional level. To my surprise they said “Yes”! From there I began my career as a professional brand photographer. I’ve been able to build off of that first project and now, after about 2 years, I am bringing in enough work to support myself full time. It has been a wild ride getting to where I am now and I have so many people to thank for helping me get to this point in my career. I feel very thankful and blessed that I have been able to be where I am today, and I am excited about what is to come!

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

The importance of having a creative community. Whether your creative community is large or small, having a group of people who understand the field you are in, the ups and downs, is so important. Being able to bounce ideas off each other is such a crucial part of growing in the field and making connections.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Most of my work is with brands in the outdoor goods & apparel sector, so I get to spend a lot of time creating content outdoors. That is such a rewarding aspect of the job. Also, being able to create content that inspires and motivates others to spend time outside is a huge reason that I wanted to go into this work.    

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jenaruth.com/
• Instagram: jenaruth.photos
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jena-mcjunkin-7a870b15a/