We recently connected with Jenny Gil and have shared our conversation below.

Jenny, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

A little over 6 years ago, my husband and I got married. When we got our wedding video back, I was blown away with the emotions it evoked just from watching. It truly brought our day back to life. It was so valuable to us that I decided I wanted to learn how to do the same thing and offer the same valuable memories to others. I had never picked up a camera until then, but I was determined to not just learn videography, but be excellent at it. I had a family member who was running a very successful wedding videography company in New York City, so I reached out to him and asked if he would teach me. At this time my husband and I were living in Upstate New York. I started driving 5+ hours on the weekends to shoot weddings in the city.

I learned videography by jumping in and just starting to do it, even when I had no clue how to work a camera. I learned one thing at a time, mastered it, and then learned the next thing. I asked a LOT of questions. The best advice I give to others about learning photography or videography is to shadow others who are professionals at it. Do not be too prideful to ask questions. I have learned my entire business by observing how others do it and then figuring out how it works best for me.

One way I could have sped up my learning process is to invest in a beginner camera. I was set on having the best camera, so it took me awhile to save up the money to get the camera that I wanted. I should have spent some money on a beginner camera so that in my free time I could still be practicing and learning. It’s easy to compare the gear we have to others who have been investing in their gear for years and years, rather than just enjoying the journey of growing your business and skills over time.

I learned photography after I mastered videography. In the same way that I learned videography, I asked a lot of questions of others who had been doing photography for a long time. I also asked if I could second shoot with some wedding photographers for free so I could practice my photography skills without any pressure. Another huge thing I did to invest in my photography was styled shoots- this allowed me to learn and gain content to share which then brought in a lot of new clients.

Jenny, 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?

My name is Jenny! I am 28, married to my husband Erick and we live in Akron, Ohio. We have two beautiful daughters- Emerson and Elessi. I own a wedding photography and videography company named Abundance Film. I got into the wedding industry six years ago after receiving my own wedding video back and falling in love with the ability it had to bring my wedding day back to life. From then on, I wanted to be able to provide that same value to other couples. I originally only did videography, but have since grown and now offer photo and video packages for wedding days.

The value that Abundance Film offers to couples is truly incredible and I am very proud of it. We are some of the best in our field in both photography and videography. When you book your wedding with Abundance Film, you are ensuring that you have a team that is excellent to work with. We are all “people people”. We love being around people, meeting new people, hyping people up, celebrating people. We truly love our couples. We also work excellently together- we know exactly what needs to happen to get the best shots for both photo and video. When you book separate companies for photography and videography, they are typically just meeting that day and figuring it out as they go. We show up to your wedding day with a plan in place to make sure the day is calm and goes smoothly.

I named my business Abundance Film because my passion is to capture all of the “abundant” moments in life. I focus on weddings, but also love capturing life in general. New babies, milestones, engagements- through photo and video we can both make time stand still while simultaneously bringing them back to life. Life goes way too quickly, and it’s important we are capturing these abundant moments.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

Truly my best advice for managing a team is that your business is nothing with out them. If I did not have a strong team in place, Abundance Film would not be what it is today. Your appreciation for your team should show not just in your words, but in your actions. And actions include compensation. They all have families and lives apart from their jobs, and I always want them to know that I value their choosing to work with me. I always try to pay my team more than what they were expecting/asking for as a way of showing my appreciation for them.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

My highest source of new clients is through word of mouth. This has come from building genuine relationships with my clients and genuinely showing interest in their lives. Especially after working with a couple on their wedding day, I leave sad that we are done hanging out that day and hoping to see them again soon. I genuinely care for them. I think that this naturally translates into high reviews and referrals.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.abundancefilm.com
• Instagram: @abundance.film