We were lucky to catch up with Naomi Jemison recently and have shared our conversation below.

Naomi, 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 have been working towards building this business for 6 years now. Of course, if I could go back in time; I would do it all differently.

I started 6 years ago by just picking up a camera and photographing everything. I was constantly asking my friends to model for me, and I took my camera with me everywhere I went. I would post all of the photos I was proud of, and slowly but surely people started to recognize my work. I started having a few people here and there want to pay me to photograph their grad session, engagement, family, etc. I said yes to everything that came my way, and I was loving it.

Shortly after I got started with taking paid clients -I made my biggest mistake: going to college. I knew I loved photography, and I knew people were willing to pay me, so I figured why not make a career out of it? And you have to go to college to start your career right? (spoiler- the answer is no).

I started at college and it was extremely overwhelming. I was still working full time, and going to school part time. The workload for college was insane. I would pretty much have to be photographing in my sleep to come up with all of the new and original work that my professors required of me. Sure, it helped shape my skillset and I learned a lot about the art and technology behind photography: but it did not teach me how to run a business.

A matter a fact, I had to take a step back from my business during this time. There was no way I could do it all, so I stopped taking paid clients. Now my business was at a stand-still, and photography school was running me into the ground, and forcing me to create all kinds of photographs that I just simply didn’t care about. I always knew I wanted to photograph people. Real people, and the real moments between those people. In school we would just photograph products and models. It was exhausting.

Anyway, 2 years later I finally graduated and I was absolutely sick of photography. I was certain that this career path was not for me, and I spent another year of my life just wandering aimlessly trying to decide what to do for a living. All the while, people were still trying to book sessions with me. After saying no about a million times, I finally caved and said yes. And the first time I was back behind the camera photographing real people again, I fell in love with it again.

I guess the moral of the story is that you don’t HAVE to go to college. My business was already taking off the ground when I started college, and I wasted 2 years photographing things I didn’t care about. If I had taken those 2 years to keep taking clients and practicing on my friends; I think I could have reached the point I am at now MUCH sooner. If you know what sets your soul on fire – just do it. Do it to the best of your ability as often as you can, and practice will make progress!

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

I am a photographer based in the Orlando/Central FL area! I specialize in capturing love of all kinds. I enjoy photographing people, couples, and families at all stages of their life. I love how a graduation session then turns into an engagement session, and then into a wedding, and then into a maternity session, and then into a family session and so on! I connect with my clients on a friendship level, and it is so cool to be able to follow along their journey and be there to capture all of life’s moments along the way!

I got started with photography by doing a maternity session for my cousin. I was 16 years old, and I had an ancient crop censored camera that I took with me on vacations. I barely knew how to use the thing. My cousin reached out to me when she found out she was pregnant, because she couldn’t afford a maternity session and she knew I had a camera. She asked if I could possibly snap a few photos of her just to document her pregnancy. She said she wasn’t looking for anything fancy. As a gift to her, I decided to do some research and see how I could make the session extra special for her. I learned how to use all of the settings on the camera, and even did some research on posing for a maternity session. When the day came, I think I ended up photographing her for like 3 hours. I just loved it so much. I had no idea how much fun it was going to be. I went home that night and immediately made an instagram account named “Naomi Jemison Photography”, and then the business was born!

6 years later, I still feel that same excitement every time I photograph. I smile from ear to ear during the entire session, and I almost always go over on time because I am having so much fun. The #1 compliment I get from my clients is that they appreciate how much I genuinely want to be there. I make it a fun time, and I don’t rush it. I try my hardest to make it an experience for my clients. I want them to walk away feeling like they just had a fun date night, not that they just ran errand. I accomplish this by creating moments during my sessions – not poses. No one is going to “say cheese” to the camera for an hour and leave saying “that was so fun!”. Instead, they leave feeling awkward, and usually find that their photos look awkward as well. I want the photos to feel natural. I almost always have my clients moving during their session, or if they are still – I will ask them to think about a certain thing or say something to their partner generate emotion. I want all of the genuine & authentic expressions. People look most beautiful when they are just being themselves.

The most important thing to know about me as a business owner is that from very first inquiry you make with me – you have a friend. I will cross oceans for you, and I will do anything and everything I can to help and support you! I am an ally, and all humans are free to be themselves with me- no judgement, and with lots of love. I want to be someone you can count on, communicate with openly, and feel free to be yourself with!

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

When I started my creative journey, I thought college was the answer. 2 years wasted and several thousand dollars later; I can genuinely say that was the most useless resource I have invested in to date. I have learned way more through other resources that are either free, or very affordable!

I learned a lot of my editing skills from YouTube. A realization I made a long time ago is that pretty much anything is possible when it comes to photo editing; you just have to learn how to make it happen. Every time I get stuck while editing; I look up a solution on YouTube. “How to make your subject’s skin tones look true to life”, “How to bring back detail in the sky” and “How to balance the highlights and shadows from a very sunny photoshoot” are all things YouTube has taught me over the years plus SO much more!

Podcasts are another awesome resource. My car has basically become my rolling library. Every time I am driving to a session I am listening to a podcast! My favorite photography-related podcasts are Ben Hartley’s Six Figure Photography Podcast and Oh Shoot by Cassidy Lynne! Another one I listen to frequently that has definitely influenced my business is Unf*ck your Brain by Kara Lowentheil. This podcast is all about mental health, but it is specifically geared towards women and has taught me a lot about being a woman-owned business owner in today’s society!

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is delivering the final product to my clients and hearing how my artwork makes them feel. One thing I always knew I wanted to from a very young age was help people. I always thought I would be a doctor, but it turns out science is hard and school is NOT my thing. When I first considered pursing photography, I felt a bit of guilt. I wanted to use my life to help others, and I thought that photography provided only vanity. Instead, I am constantly hearing that my artwork brought someone to tears, or made them feel confident for the first time in their life. Freezing a moment in time is so much more valuable than vanity. It give people the ability to savor a moment with a loved one who has since passed away, or remember their child before they grew up. It is the most rewarding job to bring joy to others while also having so much fun!

Contact Info:

• Website: naomijemison.com
• Instagram: @naomi_jemison / https://www.instagram.com/naomi_jemison/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/naomijemisonphotography

Image Credits
Naomi Jemison Photography