We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jessica Alexander . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jessica below.
Jessica, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
My interest in photography began at art school when I started using photography as a reference for painting however It wasn’t until I relocated to London and started working as an assistant that I truly honed my skills and gained the experience to become a professional photographer.
Building contacts took time and effort, but I was fortunate to have had friends who recommended me and provided valuable advice. I was encouraged to be persistent and to constantly communicate my enthusiasm and availability. Stay on the bus they said!
While I was assisting I would shoot my own work in the evenings & weekends, begging and borrowing equipment and studios. I’ve never lacked passion and determination when it came to photography :) !
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’m an LA based photographer specializing in interiors, life and the precious moments in between.
I shoot commercial work for brands and my work with interior designers has been published in many editorial titles including Vogue, Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, Domino, Dwell and Rue magazine.
Most recently I launched the first of a fine art series of works. ‘Into the Light’ previewed in October 2023 at Open Studios of Topanga.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
Surround yourself with people that champion you on your creative path (and in life!). I feel fortunate to have had some incredible mentors. The online creative community has also blossomed in recent years as the industry is becoming more transparent.
Check out:
Photo Dump Podcast
Visual Revolutionary Podcast
www.aphotoeditor.com
Does your business have multiple or supplementary revenue streams (like a ATM machine at a barbershop, etc)?
Income generated through licensing rights is huge part of the photography business model. It’s important to keep your copyright and to educate clients in this area. More on copyright here:
https://www.ppa.com/articles/
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jessicaalexanderphotography.com
- Instagram: @jessicajalexander
Image Credits
Images 1-4 Design by @theplatformexperiment Images 5-8 Design by @nataliemyers