Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jenni Chapman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Jenni thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.
Ever since the creation of my business 11 years ago, I have been of the belief that it doesn’t actually matter how talented your photographer is, or what gear they use, or how much they charge for their services – if they can’t ALSO make you feel empowered and comfortable before and during your session, you won’t like your finished photos. You deserve photos that capture who you are on the inside, not just what you look like on the outside. That’s not possible when you feel guarded and awkward. The thing is, getting in front of a stranger and magically becoming a model is weird and not something people can just *do*. Photoshoots aren’t something most people do every day, so how can you be expected to suddenly become at home in front of a camera?
That’s why my entire business is built on the foundation of my Confidence Formula. This formula empowers and honors my clients in a way that transforms their confidence and self worth during our time together – a boost of self love that lasts long after our time together! Let me break it down for you:
The first part of the Confidence Formula is: TRUST + TIME = FEELING COMFORTABLE.
My job, first and foremost, is to build a friendship with you! I do this through fun getting-to-know-you questionnaires and planning zooms where we can get to know each other. I’ll learn what is meaningful to you and what you want to get out of your session, and that will inform your session’s location, styling elements, and more!
A lot of people are so excited to have photos taken, but more than that they feel anxiety and nervousness about what to expect. Remember, most people don’t do photoshoots more than once every few years! So it’s up to me to eliminate some of that (totally reasonable) fear of the unknown. I do this by providing each client with a styling guide to help them choose outfits that work well with their location and my editing style while still staying true to their personal style, personalized Pinterest boards that reflect the gender/body type/location/aesthetic of their session to give a sneak peek into what they can expect, and plenty of pep talks!
Once we’ve established our friendship and trust in each other, it’s time for your session… and part two of the Confidence Formula: COMFORT + EMPOWERMENT + CREATIVITY = CONFIDENCE.
Now that you’re feeling comfortable, it’s time for empowerment! In front of my camera, you have permission to play, try new poses, and explore your creative side. Think of your session as quality time that you get to spend with yourself or your loved ones instead of just standing and smiling, and your photos will be much more meaningful to you! Bringing creativity and play into your session can put you even more at ease, “nesting” at your location with styling elements and clothing that make you feel even more confident. I’m a big fan of “chimping,” or showing my clients the photos on the back of my camera as we go. Seeing how gorgeous you look without editing can be a huge confidence boost in the moment – the creativity, empowerment, and comfort feed into each other to fuel a confidence transformation!
By building my entire business off of this formula I created, I’m able to help my clients go from feeling nervous and unsure about having their photos taken to lifelong legacy clients who have completely reframed their self worth through creative empowerment… with meaningful photos they can FEEL to commemorate their most precious milestones and moments.
A specific example would be my client J, who didn’t have any non-selfie photos with her husband (aside from their wedding photos 10 years prior). She confided in me that she really hated the way she looked in full-body photos, and was incredibly skeptical about the possibility that she could love photos of her body again. Based on other client reviews, she took a chance on me and we set up a couples adventure session at a local beach. I can count on one hand the times I have laughed harder than we did during their session! I was able to help them choose outfits that felt good (and looked good!) and created a cozy, comfortable environment where she could let her guard down and simply be herself with her hubby in front of my camera. Here’s what she had to say after getting her finished gallery:
“Where do I even begin!!? Working with Jenni was so much fun! If it wasn’t already clear from the photos, and galleries on their website and socials – their enthusiasm, and passion for the work they do shines through in every interaction from the initial email, to the day of shooting! Not only do my husband and I have gorgeous photos, but Jenni made it such a fun process! I’ve never laughed more, and have never felt so instantly comfortable. I hate having photos taken of me – especially full body, but Jenni was able to capture my husband, and my personalities and, dare I say make me feel BEAUTIFUL in front of the camera. If you’re looking for an inclusive, creative, and truly genuine person to work with, then look no further! My only wish is that I had found Jenni sooner so I could’ve had them photograph our wedding!”
If that’s not a confidence transformation, I don’t know what is! We still stay in touch and I can’t wait to take more photos of them in the future.
Jenni, 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?
I’m Jenni (she/they), and I own Jenni Chapman Photography – a queer/nonbinary owned empowering photography business based in San Jose, CA!
I started JCP 11 years ago, with the byline “comfortable experience, professional results.” Through over a decade and a few rebrands, this main theme has stuck with me. I’ve found that by cultivating my clients’ comfort and trust before and during our time together, they’re impacted by creative empowerment which leaves them with more meaningful photos AND a confidence boost that lasts beyond their session!
Most people feel self conscious and unphotogenic when they have their photo taken. Photoshoots aren’t an everyday thing, and feeling nervous about being perceived by a stranger in this sort of way makes sense! That’s why I’ve spent over a decade creating empowering photography experiences that make you feel gorgeous and genuinely YOU, because I believe everyone deserves a joy-filled photoshoot experience where they feel confident and celebrated.
As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I have a special place in my heart for my queer clients! Photographing queer individuals, partners, and families throughout their lives (especially LGBTQ+ weddings!) is the biggest honor. I know firsthand how hard it can be to navigate a world where you’re constantly assessing your safety with strangers. Working and creating with another queer person that bypasses that worry entirely! When you’re queer, booking a session with a queer photographer is the easiest way to make sure that your pronouns and identity will be respected and uplifted, and you’ll be able to get photos that you truly love!
I offer photography experiences for intimate weddings and elopements, romantic partners and engagement/proposals, families, and individuals. All my galleries are delivered within 2 weeks of your session date (yes, even weddings!) and I offer add-ons like second shooters, studio rentals, hair and makeup with a queer-affirming team of artists, and short form video ready for Instagram Reels and Tiktok. I pride myself on my customizable packages because I believe photography isn’t one-size-fits-all. I want to make sure you pay for everything you want and nothing you don’t!
How did you build your audience on social media?
I have been fortunate enough to grow an audience of over 70k followers over the last few years on Tiktok! The key for me was consistency and combining relatable drama with nuggets of value.
For consistency, I started posting on Tiktok every other day and worked my way up to one post a day. Batching content and saving drafts with captions and hashtags ready to go has been a huge time saver. You don’t even have to start with every other day – the most important thing is you choose a schedule you KNOW you will succeed at so you get the motivation and confidence to increase your posts over time.
I’ve had a handful of videos go viral, and each combined relatable drama and nuggets of value. People want to talk about themselves, so discussing a topic (or making a joke about one) that people are either going to REALLY agree or REALLY disagree with is the first step. Use language that stirs up drama (I opened a viral video by saying “if you’re trying to have an unplugged wedding ceremony and you think a little sign is going to be enough, you’re wrong.” The comments section went crazy!
If you have multiple revenue streams in your business, would you mind opening up about what those streams are and how they fit together?
In addition to my photography services, I am lucky enough to be the social media marketing manager for two LGBTQ+ organizations and a mentor for photographers looking to go full-time with their businesses!
These supplementary revenue streams provide income through the slower photography seasons, and it’s work that I’m really passionate about.
For the mentorships specifically, I wanted to take the best aspects of all the programs I’ve personally done and create an offer I’m not seeing anywhere else. With a customized 5 or 10 week program that focuses on areas YOU want to see growth, my mentees get one on one attention with no wasted time or money on topics where they already feel confident. The result is extremely expedited growth for their business, and they’re able to hit the ground running with a solid foundation underneath them to scale their income and offerings for years to come. It’s so gratifying to see how much my mentees flourish, even just within the few weeks I have them!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jennichapmanphotography.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/jennichapmanphotography
- Facebook: facebook.com/jennichapmanphotography
- Tiktok: tiktok.com/@jennichapmanphotography
Image Credits
Jenni Chapman