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

Alright, Jordan thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start big picture – what are some of biggest trends you are seeing in your industry?

One of the trends that I am seeing in my industry is the use of architectural video to accompany architectural photography. It is an under-utilized service not just in the United States, but especially in Nashville. It is slowly starting to pick up across the country, so much so that many of the organizations that cater to Architects are starting to include video as an award category. This is one of the services that I offer that most others don’t. It is expensive to produce these videos, but I encourage architects, designers, and builders, to start considering this cost when bidding on projects and build the cost into their budgets up front.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am an architectural photographer and video producer and I travel all over the country for this work. I discovered photography back in 2005 when I acquired my first camera and my photographer friends taught me the basics. From there I began photographing weddings, portraits, real estate, etc. and eventually builders, designers, and architects were starting to hire me for my work. One of the services that I offer which sets me apart from many architectural photographers across the country is my use of video for architecture. It is an under-utilized service and I hope to be at the forefront of bringing it mainstream. One of the things that I am most proud of in my work is what I call a “hassle-free” policy. Whether it is budgeting, scheduling, or additional imagery, having this policy allows me to provide flexibility to my clients. The more flexible I am with them, the more flexible they are with me – and this allows me to create much more powerful imagery and an overall better experience for my clients.

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

I am proud to have built my business debt free. My business started when I acquired my first camera back in 2005. I eventually began to make money with that and would invest some of that money into new equipment once I hit either a creative wall or felt limited by what I was using. In the photography world, we joke about a condition called “Gear Acquisition Syndrome” which is the photographers need to continue buying new and shiny equipment. I certainly became a victim of this over time – at one point having an entire studio filled with equipment and more in storage. In 2022, I sold or gave away almost all of it to the point where I can fit everything that I need to successfully run my business in the cargo space of my car.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

I don’t know that I would call it a “resource” but the value in networking with and assisting other photographers in my niche has been one of the things that has fast-tracked my career. When it comes to networking with other photographers, that could be anything from forming small “Mastermind” groups, going to networking events, or simply getting together from time to time to “talk shop”. Assisting other photographers was also an incredibly valuable experience to me – learning how others approached the same work that I do but seeing how they thought about things different than I do.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jordanpowersphotography.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/jrdnpwrs
• Linkedin: Linkedin.com/in/jordanpowers

Image Credits
JORDAN POWERS PHOTOGRAPHY