We were lucky to catch up with Jennica Maes recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jennica, appreciate you joining us today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

I honestly believe the universe sets you up to succeed and that comes with time. While I would have loved for this business to have been full-time earlier in my career, I honestly believe I needed those other jobs to get me to where I am today.

The recession that took place as I was in college and graduating left me in a place where Interior Design jobs were hard to come by. Luckily I took an internship for communications in radio which opened the career path I never knew I would fall into. I took on learning the ins and outs of WordPress, learning how to use Adobe for more than rendering images, and being handed a camera. These are all things I loved in High School, but honestly, it was radio that helped me find my passion.

Radio eventually opened up the door to a new opportunity where I landed my first large career move. SportFive formerly Lagardere Unlimited / Gaylor Sports Management. Instagram had just become the new trend, social platforms started becoming a marketing tool and I learned more than any class would teach me. The hands-on experience I gained during this time is what helped me get to where I am today.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I owe my career to the empire of people who have supported and believed in me. I was tired of being told how to do social, how to do my job… I wanted to break free of the bubble and be able to be as creative as I wanted. Creatives need that freedom.

The biggest lesson as an entrepreneur: Before putting on the hat to do what you love you must learn all the hats that you are not familiar with, nor love to do.

I am grateful that I have been given the chance to define what type of photographer I wanted to be. My business in a nutshell is re-building self-love & raw connections within photography. Reimagining true soulful designs with intention.

I like to call it Editorial Soul. From family shoots to small businesses and influencers. It’s a creative realm but with the reminder that true beauty shines.

I am most proud of not playing into the mental and social stigma that exists. I refuse to photoshop a body or scars. This life is currently designed to allow us to pick how we want the world to see us. We have the choice on how we want to let the world in, I CHOOSE to believe in authenticity, raw, and true connections with others, myself, and the crafted art that exists. It’s time to take a stance on the social stigmas that exist, shed the layers of perfection from images we create, and bring back our authentic true selves.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I think there is a misconception that photographers should ALWAYS offer Mini sessions and that mini-session prices should be a thing all year long.

Mini sessions are designed the same as any other holiday sale promotion; like Black Friday, Memorial Day specials, etc.
This set-up was designed to do back-to-back sessions with an incentive for both the client and photographer. Mini sessions were not designed to allow a cheap rate all year. In fact, stop haggling with photographers for a discounted rate or trying to change their package items for ANY session.

This is their lively hood, their creative visions, and their time. This is their career- nobody haggles your salary/income, so be respectful to anyone in the service industry. They have accounted for all areas of what their price point should be, what their packages include, and their time. It’s worth their pay structure. Respect that.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

The other half of what I offer is Branding / Social Media branding.

The biggest advice I give anyone who is coming to me about social media is simple: To create your audience, to show a story, it must come from you. This is not someone else platform, it’s yours. So do the work – no one else will.

The best way to do that: know who you are, what you love, and what feeds your soul. That’s the type of audience you want. Someone to connect with YOU and what you love. Being your authentic self will go noticed. Authenticity still exists.

For me? I stayed true to myself. I believe in being honest with others and more so with myself. Not every day is picture perfect and I choose early on before it became a trend to be true about my feelings on social media (with respect in mind). I choose to talk about the things I love: kindness, loyalty, compassion, coffee, wine, the 90s, anything with music or John Hughes influenced, my chucks, and of course Champ (my little yorkiepoo). This is me, this is how people will connect with me. By me being honest and clear of who I am… and having that tie directly back into my brand.

In the same breath, choose to look at social media as a creative marketing tool, not to air my dirty laundry. I choose to use it as a fun way to express myself, be honest with those who followed me on the ups + downs, but be respectful of all the others out there.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://amaesphotography.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amaes_photography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amaesphoto
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/jennicaemaes/_saved/

Image Credits
All my images.

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