Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jordan McDonnell. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jordan, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

Before photographing anyone professionally, I used it solely as a fun, creative outlet. Without any immediate pressure of making money, I was able to let myself explore different styles, practice photographing my friends, learn more about my camera, and better my craft. I’m so glad it unfolded naturally like this because those beginning years of practicing and playing around for fun are what helped me hone both my editing and shooting style without any other added noise.

I think something I’m still learning is beneficial to speeding up the learning process is reaching out to mentors. There’s definitely something to be said for making mistakes and learning as you go, but there are so many people in my community that I would have loved to connect with sooner! I’ve soaked up so much knowledge by shadowing and assisting other photographers. It’s really cool to be at the juncture where people have reached out to me as a mentor, and yet I’m still reaching out to others to mentor me. Nothing excites me more than the ability to keep learning and keep growing.

Jordan, 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?

Hey, I’m Jordan! I created Genuinely Jo Photography in 2020 (while we were all in lockdown on our couches with nothing better to do). Ever since I was a little girl, I always had an interest in photography. I used to steal my mom’s digital camera and take portraits of my family and friends whenever I could. The ability to freeze a moment in time was the coolest thing in the world to me, and I became really interested in the many ways you could capture someone on camera. In late high school, I bought my very own (super beginner) DSLR camera and I was over the moon! I began asking my friends if I could take photos of them to practice using my new camera, and immediately I was hooked. But even then, I never really considered photography could be a career option for me.

I went on to study acting and music at Loyola University in Chicago. When I wasn’t performing in a show, I was working for the Department of Fine and Performing Arts as a student photographer. It was the best campus job ever! I got to see all the other concerts, plays, and art exhibits going on at my school, and it really grew my confidence in my camera skills. Then senior year came and I was all set to graduate and hit the ground running auditioning in Chicago. But Covid had other plans, my last year was cut short, and the film and theatre industries shut down completely. It was during this time that I really reevaluated what I wanted to do, and a lightbulb went off in my head.

During the few months of lockdown, I decided to get my photography portfolio together, make a website, a photography Instagram, and try my hand at doing this professionally. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit, and creating my own business from scratch was both a scary and exciting venture. Now, a little over two years of doing photography full time, I am so thankful I decided to go for it in 2020. To this day, music and acting are still huge parts of me. You can often find me singing subconsciously (pretty much anywhere), writing music, and acting in film and theatre projects around the city. But I’ve realized that I’m drawn to photography for the same reasons I’m drawn to singing and acting, and the through line is storytelling. I feel so lucky that I get to tell my story and so many others’ through art. It’s the biggest privilege.

Is there a mission driving your creative journey?

If at the end of my career I can look back and say I served as a mirror to show people how cool and beautiful they are, all while preserving some of their most cherished memories, I’ll be more than happy.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

Let me first start off by saying that starting a business can be expensive and scary! From the beginning, I tried to be smart about my investments. What is the best use of my savings right now? What investments will ultimately up-level my client experience and photos in a way that allows me to raise my rates? I’m constantly asking myself these questions. When I initially started the business, I owned a used DSLR camera I bought on eBay and a couple decent lenses, but that’s it. I hadn’t really considered all the additional editing subscriptions, equipment, client management tools, cost of my website, etc. When I took the leap and decided to become an official business, I slowly began chipping away at investing in each of these things. Each time I invested in something that increased the value of my service, I felt comfortable raising my rates to account for it.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.genuinelyjo.com
• Instagram: @genuinelyjo

Image Credits
Genuinely Jo Photography