We recently connected with Kimberlee Jensen and have shared our conversation below.

Kimberlee, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today One of our favorite things to brainstorm about with friends who’ve built something entrepreneurial is what they would do differently if they were to start over today. Surely, there are things you’ve learned that would allow you to do it over faster, more efficiently. We’d love to hear how you would go about setting things up if you were starting over today, knowing everything that you already know.

I would take more risks sooner. Try different styles of photography that maybe I was intimidated by. Find my niche in photography and really focus on mastering that. These are all things that I eventually did in my photography career, but would definitely have done sooner, had I known the benefits. To get where I am today faster and with less capital, would require utilizing the free online resources available to become proficient in my editing skills and really connect with my local photographer community more. I have received so much help and guidance from these groups and didn’t even really participate in them until later in my journey.

Kimberlee, 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’m a photographer here in San Diego. I love to photograph all the things we hold dear to us and love, hence my business name Lovelee Photography. I dabbled with photography in high school and then ventured off to college to study something completely unrelated. I picked up my camera again a few years down the road, started taking pictures for friends and family and the fulfillment I got just from making other people smile with the memories I was helping them capture, was undeniable, I knew this was what I wanted to pursue. So I did! I specialize in families, newborns and weddings. I do offer other sessions such as boudoir and milestone sessions for your kiddos, but I have come to really love my specialties. I want to create a comfortable and fun environment for my clients. I like to capture authentic moments and the real love and affection that we always want to be remembered. I know photographing kids can be challenging but I’m patient and willing to do whatever I need to do to make them give us those “real” smiles that parents want! Before a session I’m always happy to offer styling advice when it comes to putting together outfits, don’t hesitate to ask! I’m very proud of the network of clients that I’ve built for myself. I have done very little paid marketing and have made a name for myself through referrals and social media, primarily! I’m so grateful for my wonderful clients that have gotten me to where I am today.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I touched on this a little already, but I think it’s so crucial that it definitely deserves more attention. There are some great resources out there for photographers, that I came to learn about a little late in my journey, so I’d love to share them here. Squijoo is a website that offers NUMEROUS templates for photographers. Whether you’re trying to create your price list, a marketing campaign, an ad, or a special type of photoshop edit, they have it! I could spend hours on here exploring. Another helpful resource is CreativeLive. This is where you can go to take classes on anything from different editing techniques to how to run a successful business. Some classes are free and some cost, but it is definitely worth checking out. They have classes specific to your specialty as well, so if you want to learn how to get into wedding or newborn photography, they have a class for you! The last thing I want to touch on is finding a community of photographers that you trust and can count on for advice and guidance, because you are going to need it! Personally, I have found this through Facebook, and it has been so beneficial to my growth as a photographer.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I think that you can ask any small business owner and they will say that they have times in their business where they feel like they can’t handle their workload because there’s so much and then there’s times when their business slows down and they start to feel a little nervous and anxious to get back to busy season. I know that I’ve been there! That’s what I think demonstrates my resilience. My ability to no matter what, push through the slow seasons. I have learned a few tricks and tips in doing so, such as making sure I am putting money aside during the busy times, so that I have that to fall back on when it’s not so busy. Also during the slower times, I like to offer more mini sessions. These are great for people who may not want to spend as much on a full length session, but still want to get pictures with their loved ones.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lovelee-photo.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loveleeportraits/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loveleeportraits

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