We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jessica Joseph a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jessica, thanks for joining us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

This is the only job where every day I tell myself “I feel so rich.” Not literally in cash, but in how I live my life. My every day routines feel like a luxury to me. Most mornings I can wake up at 9am and take my time making coffee, sipping it slowly with my fiance on our porch, watching red cardinals grace our trees. While being a creative does require a lot of self accountability, it also allows for so much freedom to just appreciate and observe how beautiful this world is. To be slow, intentional, and observant – there is no other way I’d prefer to live my life.

I’m one of the first women in my family to start a business. I don’t always realize that until a relative pulls me to the side to tell me she’s so proud of me because no one wanted to see a woman with a camera when she was my age. Another relative pulls me aside to say they’re proud of me. It happens again, and again, like iterations of a quiet applause.
The applause feels quiet sometimes because the louder comments from others would feel so dominating at the time I decided to pursue photography.

Some people project their discomfort onto me: “No 401K? What will you do when you have children? You don’t make that much money though.”
All of these phrases are now little humming noises I choose to not make any sense of. It’s a muscle I’ve learned to train – tuning certain noise out and amplifying the feelings that point me in the right direction.

I of course do get overwhelmed with logistics like “will I be able to pay myself for the next year?” or “can I really afford to say no to this project?” Health insurance tends to suck as a self-employed person. It can be lonely working solo. It can be hard motivating myself to pursue an artistic endeavor that has no guaranteed profit. When these logistics overwhelm me, I am reminded that life is hard no matter what. And life can be much much harder at any given point. There is no other option but to learn how to work through these obstacles and to work through them with grace.

Jessica, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I love working with couples who embrace a love for the imperfect and living in the moment. This means on wedding days I often have a minimal shot list and keep an eye out for your memories as they unfold. I’m all about capturing your memories, not creating them. I’m rarely the loudest person in the room, but I will be one of the most observant. This doesn’t mean I’m a fly on the wall. I talk with guests. I mingle. I make sure I’m a friendly presence in the room. So when I’m photographing a ceremony or first dance, I am just an extension of the celebration.
I am proud of my ability to build relationships within an eight hour wedding day that last months and years
I also am very proud of how my work has changed over the years. I’ve always valued working with a documentary approach ever since I started photographing portraits. Beyond capturing the events, I also aim to document the essence of the day. I want my couples to look back at their photos and remember the exact feelings when it was taken.

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

I don’t consider myself to have a large social media following, although most of my inquiries come from TikTok or Instagram. I think social media is such a unique way to show your perspective as an artist. Besides skillset, I know someone is also hiring me for how I view the world. So it is very important to share that in ways beyond photos. I share poetry I like to my stories, random musings or introspective thoughts I’ve been having on life, and people I love. I could spend all day curating my grid to show a certain aesthetic. In fact, I probably should because that in itself is a form of marketing. But that doesn’t fill me with joy, so I’ve yet to do it. But I do love writing and sharing my life. I think by doing this, my clients and prospective clients learn how I view the world and what I value.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I’ve had to unlearn that I should say yes to every opportunity if I’m available. At one point, I said yes to every inquiry that came my way because I had bills to pay and wanted to pursue photography as my job. However, I hit a point where photography wasn’t feeling fun anymore. It felt like a chore. And if it feels like a chore and there’s no soul in it, then what’s the point?
I’ve learned to do my job well, I need to be excited to do it. This is why I get so invested in my couples. I love getting to know their story and their loved ones. It makes this job feel important. If I receive an inquiry that doesn’t feel like it fits my approach, I politely decline and send over referrals. I also want to make sure clients receive the best photographer for them, and it’s ok if it’s not me!
I also had to unlearn hustle culture during this time period as well. I work best when well rested. This means taking time to work out, cook, see my friends, and have full weekends off once in a while. This also means saying no sometimes to jobs. Protecting my own energy and rest has been what’s made this business feel sustainable for me so far.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.byjessicajoseph.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/byjessicajoseph/

Image Credits

Bio photo of me by Nina Ho