We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jessica Fowler . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jessica below.

Alright, Jessica thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

When it comes to photography, typically they are branded under the artist’s name. But I knew upfront that I wanted to be different. Not only because I have a very generic name “Jessica Fowler” (and yes I have a personal friend with the same exact name) but also because I wanted my photography to be seen as not just a reflection of myself, but as a reflection of those who I have the honor of putting in front of my camera.

When I started my business in 2016 I had a couple of friends who also wanted to get into the digital media market, two to be exact, and they were located in Asheville and Wilmington, spreading our reach across the state. Because North Carolina is made up of 3 distinct regions, The Piedmont, Mountains, and Coast, I decided to name it Three Region Photography. Our original tagline was “We capture memories from Coast to Coast.” But eventually we all split off into different directions and my business actually grew to service the entire United States. I’ve captured weddings in Seattle, Portland, New York, Montana, Boston, Georgia, Maryland, and of course the Carolina’s.

Over the years, now that it was just me, I considered changing it to my name, but Three Region has become apart of my identity. People will see me out in public and literally call me that as if it’s my name. And while I wish I might have chosen something a bit less confusing (it’s one of the number one questions I get asked when I have to tell my business name to guests at weddings) I do love it, and the way it reflects my home state and my roots in this business.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Growing up I was always the girl with the camera. It was a tiny digital camera that took crappy photos that I uploaded immediately with no filters on Myspace, but I was my friend’s group documentarian. The scrapbooker. The memory keeper. As an only child photography was a form of not only self expression but as a way to relive the memories I had with my friends. As I got older and was deciding on what to do during my college years I knew that I wanted to be in the arts, and ended up getting dual degrees in Creative Writing and Film Production. I thought I might make movies, or write them. Instead I ended up getting married, and in doing so, realized that wedding photography was an actual career.

When I thought of professional photographers I had always thought of National Geographic or Vogue editorials. I had no idea that there were careers that were available to everyday people. That capturing memories was actually possible as a full time gig. And since 27 Dresses, The Wedding Date, My Best Friends Wedding, they were my comfort movies I decided to dive in.

Luckily, in getting to know my own wedding photographers, they gave me a lot of guidance and trust, referring me almost 17 clients my first year out the gate. I went from 5 weddings, to 21, to 35, and never slowed down. In my 9 years in business I’ve captured over 250 weddings, countless families, and so many editorials. I’ve been published in People Magazine, The Knot, and Cosmopolitan.

The thing about my photography style is I try to keep it classic and timeless. I stick to true to life colors, using a documentary style approach, and find inspiration from the movies I loved growing up. I’ve done tons of shoots based on movies and television programs. I’m also known as the “spooky photographer,” after hosting an annual Coven session that has gone viral on Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest. I get a lot of couples who want to take photos in graveyards, which works for me, since I got married on Halloween.

Another one of my key traits is during the pandemic I became the go-to courthouse photographer of the Triangle. I was probably at one of the three main courthouses once a week from 2020-2021. I sort of became enamored with the intimacy and ease of small, intimate weddings and have actually made it my focus going forward. While I still shoot the traditional, all day long affairs, the smaller weddings are where I thrive and couples have a more laid back experience.

I think the part of my business I’m most proud of is my client retention. I’ve been able to grow with my couples, capturing their stories as they build lives together, have babies, move into homes, adopt fur babies, start businesses, have vow renewals, and even travel to new places. I’ve seen my photos on so many walls and coffee tables and reposts on Valentines and anniversaries. I’ve also been messaged about how I took the last photos of loved ones before they passed and it reminds me that this job is about more than one day, more than a paycheck, it truly is so precious and meaningful. These photos will be shared and passed down for generations and that’s not a task I take lightly.

I try to make every client feel like a friend, and I go above and beyond in any way I can for them. I’ve sewed straps back onto dresses and shoes, I’ve spot cleaned, held umbrellas, wrangled in wedding parties, and done everything to ensure that my clients have a completely stress free wedding day. And I never regret a second of it. This job truly is my passion and I’m thankful that my clients allow me to continue doing it year after year.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Here’s the thing a lot of people don’t talk about when it comes to photography – finances. Sure they talk about how much money you could “potentially” make if you do this or do that, or buy some course, but I tell every mentee I have that they should be smart about how much money they put into their business up front and when they should go full time.

We are built to believe in the hustle culture, where if you put all your time and energy and resources into something, ultimately it will work out. But since photography is such a saturated market that is dependent not only on talent but clients tastes, it can be hard to make a name for yourself. I’ve seen so many young photographers quit their job prematurely, go into debt or struggle before having to give up. And it makes them feel discouraged.

So here’s my advice for any person who is thinking about going full time with their photography business.

Save a year’s salary before you quit your job.

This is what I did to give myself a cushion. It also allowed me to see if I could “survive” on only my photography paychecks. So for my first “full time year” I basically was working two jobs, but when I noticed that my photography wasn’t slowing down and I had saved that salary I felt comfortable in quitting.

That cushion definitely helped in slow times. It took stress off of me, and allowed me to focus my energy on education, styled shoots, or other things that boosted my business in the off season.

I know that we are built to go for it, but taking a few cautionary steps can help a lot in the long run.

Also slowly buying gear. When I first started I had one camera and one lens. Then two cameras and one lens. Then I bought more lenses etc. There are a lot of companies that offer 0% financing as well so you can build your gear list without worrying about interest.

All this to say – don’t fake it until you make it. Just be smart about your finances.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

Social media is a great way I stay in touch with all my clients. Like I said perviously, I truly see my clients as friends, or extensions of my business. I make sure to keep up with babies and anniversaries and life milestones. I comment on their pages, I feature them on my blogs, and I genuinely care.

There are a lot of photographers who are just posting “beautiful people” and “stunning locations,” to create a version of luxury on their sites and I’ve heard so many stories from clients who were disappointed when their photographers never shared their wedding photos.

I share everything! There is not a person or event or session (unless they particularly ask not to be shared of course) that I do not share. Because every story is worth telling. When picking a photographer I tell clients, even if it’s not me, make sure that you see yourself in your photographers images. From skin tone, to body type, to even event space, to ensure that they are going to treat you right.

My clients know that I care about everyone deeply and that’s why they not only keep coming back but refer me to their friends and family members. Without them I definitely wouldn’t be where I am now.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.threeregionn.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/threeregionnc
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threeregionnc/

Image Credits
Three Region Photography