We were lucky to catch up with Jenn Lopez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jenn thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you share a story with us from back when you were an intern or apprentice? Maybe it’s a story that illustrates an important lesson you learned or maybe it’s a just a story that makes you laugh (or cry)?

The fondest memory and greatest lesson I learned from one of my mentors is knowing my worth. I was working as a production coordinator but my passion and side gig had been photography for at least 5 years at this time. Our ad shop had just hired a full time photographer and one day I went to go introduce myself. I asked for advice about how to charge people the proper price for photography gigs. He didn’t know me at the time, and he gave me advice on starting up in photography, mentioning that when one starts off, you may have to charge cheaper until you build up your portfolio. I took everything in and I was super grateful for all the advice he shared with someone he had just met. I told him I would send him my portfolio to look at and any other advice he had to offer would be greatly appreciated.

I sent him my portfolio and I walked back to my desk, and within 5 minutes, he found where I sat. He looked me in the eye and said, “everything I just told you about charging, forget it. You’re not just starting off in photography. You ARE a photographer. Your portfolio is amazing and it speaks for itself. Don’t ever let anyone tell you you’re not a photographer and don’t ever let anyone lowball you for your work.”

No one had ever said anything like that to me. From that day forward, I gained a new confidence and I gained not only a mentor, but a friend.

Jenn, 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 love all aspects of media and I have experience in a variety of executions. I help clients visually express a story they want to tell. While photography will always be my home base, I’ve been honing in on my video editor skills the last couple of years. I am most proud of getting to work with clients who want to put out content to help people around the world. The most important thing I’d like for people to know is that I love sharing authenticity. On the contrary of what most would say, I believe that quality work is better than quantity. If we are able to share authentic stories, that has potential to help change things.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I think pivoting has been some of the best opportunities that have come out of my career. I’m lucky to be in an industry where everything connects. The better you understand different roles, the better you can do your role. I started my career in coordinating and producing. The time came when I would soon be promoted, but I chose to pivot, take a lateral move, and utilize my creative abilities. It was that pivot that opened up many doors. The knowledge that I gained through producing, made me faster and better at completing my duties.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is seeing your art in the physical world. A lot of the times, we get ideas that we can visualize in our minds. It’s not always easy to describe in words to others. But being able to take something that you visualized and sharing it with the world is very fulfilling.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jennlopezcreative.com

Image Credits
Personal Photo – Victoria Whitener All other photos – Jenn Lopez