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

Jordan , appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

Before I even started my photography business Certified25Visuals, I would take photos behind my grandmother’s house. Later on, a mentor/big brother introduced the idea of being a photographer which had an impression on me, and from there I then went to work. While in school I would ask to shoot small events and from there I would network and make connections that would sprout into doing bigger events. Such as concerts, weddings, birthday shoots, Parties, and a variety of other events. What makes my work stand out from others as a creative photographer is that my work tells a story. Whether that’s doing a shoot for an artist or doing work for a wedding, my goal while shooting is to make sure it tells a story. In which I implicate my signature black and white photos which is known to tell a story of its own.

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?

At an early age, it was easy for me to be myself. There would be different places I would go and easily make friends. As I grew older, I became more introverted as I started to notice more of how the world was, which wasn’t very appealing. Violence has had such a huge impact on a lot of communities, especially the black community, and one of my goals is to be an inspiration to young boys and girls which can raise awareness and tell younger kids that there are other ways of making money. Shooting a camera brings me immense joy because it allows me so much freedom behind the lens. What sets me apart from others is that I don’t try to fit in and I know the difference between being myself and trying to fit in. Growing up as an entrepreneur, I learned that being yourself is the best way when stepping into any business because it creates original ideas that others can steal but can’t copy. Which can go into anything, such as photography, producing, cooking, and even art. There are a lot of things that I’m proud of over the years that I’ve done but I would say being invited for an interview is a highlight so far. Being a problem solver is huge because it shows that when things don’t go right there’s always an alternative. Usually, clients are always accepting of my work but even if they aren’t I try my best to meet them in the middle to gauge what’s the best way to make the client satisfied. When shooting for clients I offer the best experience that Certified25Visuals can offer which is both unorthodox and entertaining. A day when shooting with Certified25Visuals usually starts with the location that one may provide or the client provides, which we meet at the time given. I then meet up with my equipment and speaker ready to have an enjoyable experience which the client always enjoys!

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

My photography business started with a Canon 6D camera and a 50 mm lens that was given to me by my big brother who is also a photographer. From there I worked my way up shooting small events at my former high school. Working my way up with expanding my portfolio, I then invested in a starter flash to help with the lighting when taking photos. Working with these pieces of equipment and shooting clients, helped me save money on funding new equipment such as two new lenses and a few other accessories for the camera.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Making connections and networking with others whether they are business owners, basketball players, part of a church ministry, or even a school helps my reputation because it helps build my confidence when talking to people if I need to network and make connections. What officially started my reputation as a photographer was when I originally asked a former teacher part of the homecoming committee to shoot for the homecoming for some money. He stated that I wouldn’t be compensated but since the homecoming did cost, he did state that I could get in for free and shoot as I desire. From there I would get certain shots that I needed and every time I would shoot someone, I would then network and give out my contact information or social media. Building that momentum and confidence helped me get around and build my following on social media. From that day forward, I would have people asking to shoot with me, and gaining traction boosted not only my inner confidence but also my social traction.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://certified25visuals.pixieset.com/certified25visualsportfolio/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/certified25visuals/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/?trk=guest_homepage-basic_nav-header-signin

Image Credits
Certified25Visuals