Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenna Lee Fair.
Hi Jenna, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Jenna Lee Photography was never meant to be what it is today. It all started back in 2014 when I moved to Charleston, South Carolina for college. I moved to the peninsula to pursue a ministry degree at Charleston Southern University.
While I did go on to complete my degree in ministry, I found myself spending most of my free time at the beach either kayaking, hammocking, longboarding, or taking pictures of friends for fun. I took a leap of faith and bought myself a Canon Rebel T5i and the most basic 50mm lens.
I never really had the intentions of pursuing photography professionally, but as a 7w8 on the enneagram, I am constantly craving new experiences and hobbies. After posting a few shots of my friends on social media, I had people from church and work reaching out to me about taking family photos, senior portraits, surprise engagements, and even booked my very first wedding.
Over the course of my first year with a camera in hand, I booked over 40 paid shoots in Charleston alone. I found myself filling up every weekend with some sort of session while continuing to pursue my ministry degree. Even after all of this success, I still never saw Jenna Lee Photography as a business. I grew up believing work was boring and hobbies were what you did after you completed your 40-hour workweek. I was so passionate about photography that it felt crazy to even consider it being more than just something I did for fun. It wasn’t until 3 years later, when I moved back to my hometown in Georgia, that I realized how much of my joy came from this craft.
I found myself 6 hours away from the city that stole my heart and not only was I questioning what I wanted to do next in life, but I had no name for myself and no clientele. A year later I would find myself moving to Nashville, Tennessee to start a new journey, with the hopes of one-day pursuing music full time. I sold my camera and all my lenses to purchase an electric piano and said goodbye to all things Jenna Lee Photography.
I was trading in my passion for photography to learn a new craft that I believed would carry me into a season of pursuing music. For the next two years, I questioned whether or not this trade-off was worth it. I convinced myself if I wanted to excel at anything then it needed to be the only thing. So to me, my calling was either music or photography, but it for sure couldn’t be both. What I have come to learn is that the funny thing about callings is no matter how far you try to run from them, they will always find their way back to you. A term that gets thrown around here in music city is the title of “creative.” I had never heard this term until I moved here.
As I stepped into leading worship at my church, I noticed more and more that people would often refer to me and other musicians as creatives. I noticed the production guys, media and design team, videographers, and photographers were all referred to as creatives too. I started meeting videographers who doubled as bass players, sound guys who were passionate about playing drums, and photographers who sang on Broadway on the weekends. It sounds so silly, but taking on the identity of creative has given me the freedom to believe I could pursue both passions, and even do them both with excellence!
So in 2019, I bought myself a new Canon 80D, a few prime lenses, and started building a clientele here in the heart of Nashville. While shoots have been few and far between the last 2 years with COVID-19, I must say 2022 is starting to look up. I am happy to say my weekends are once again filling up session by session including a few weddings in the spring, and a trip to Charleston to shoot for some previous clients.
It’s been a long time coming, but I am looking forward to giving Jenna Lee Photography the recognition it deserves without hesitation or reservation. Here’s to pursuing that which makes my heart leap!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As mentioned above, Jenna Lee Photography had its moments. For a season of life, it was what kept me afloat, made my days enjoyable, and paid all my bills. However, when I left the city that was the glue to my business, I found myself struggling with whether or not photography was for me.
What started as a passion and grew like wildfire in the first few months of existence was now just burnt soil with no promise of harvest. Moving back home to Georgia really threw a wrench in my plans. I was still passionate about taking photos but that led me to spend more time giving away free/cheap sessions trying to build a clientele. This left me in a rut financially and eventually I had to pick up another job that stole my weekends and left me with very little free time.
I truly thought my time as a photographer was coming to a close. But like I said earlier, you can only run so far from a calling before you find it chasing you no matter what path of life you’re on. More than photography and music, I am passionate about people. What I love most about photography sessions is the intimate and intentional time you have with your clients to get to know them and learn what brings them the most joy.
To get to be the one to capture their heart and soul in a photo that will be forever etched into eternity is mind-blowing and something I will never take for granted.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Though I am running a photography business, I find myself falling more under the category of “Artist/ Creative.” At surface level, Jenna Lee Photography is a business, but at the core of that, I am a creative using my artistry to give my clients something they can find joy and solace in for a lifetime. I mainly specialize in lifestyle and portrait photography and am known for my “dark & moody” style. While I do enjoy (and am open to) shooting weddings and special events, the majority of my work falls under those categories.
The more personal the shoot, the better. The most recent bookings I have received in 2022 have been portraits, engagements, artists (cover art), weddings, and product photoshoots. I am most proud of my ability to step out of my comfort zone. It’s so easy to stay inside the bounds of that which provides the most comfort and while it gives us the opportunity to perfect our craft in that area, I’ve come to realize it leaves very little room for personal growth.
While I love shooting lifestyle and portrait photography, just this month I had the opportunity to shoot live music (concert style) and at a local gym, benefit to raise money for Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital here in Nashville. Both of these shoots were very stretching yet also very rewarding. The best part of it all is getting to connect with people you wouldn’t typically be able to outside of the event. It was really great getting to meet new people and make some connections.
What I find that sets me apart from other photographers is my honesty, integrity, and work ethic. As your photographer, I will fight to get you “THE” photo. I will work hard to make your experience with Jenna Lee Photography as enjoyable as can be and always leave you better than I found you. I’m a big believer in making everyday fun and full of purpose, so you can guarantee that will be reflected during our session.
While my pricing is shifting in order to reflect that of other photography businesses here in the area, I do pride myself on being affordable. These days everyone owns a camera, even if it’s just on their phone, so I believe professional photos shouldn’t cost an arm and leg. However, I was once told by a dear friend that “cheap prices attract cheap clients with cheap attitudes.”
So if you’re searching for a photographer on a budget that seems a bit lower than the rest of the photographers in your area, keep in mind that you get what you pay for. We want to be able to provide you with the best gallery of permanent memories, but in order for us to do that we need to own the best equipment which can be pretty costly.
We don’t price out our sessions to take advantage of you, we’re just out there trying to make a living while giving you the photos you deserve!
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
To me, success and obedience go hand in hand.
One of my personal definitions of obedience is “continuing in the same direction over a long period of time, no matter the hiccups or failures that happen along the way.” So I would define success the same. Success is not so much about what you achieve, but more so, how you continue to press forward despite the bumps in the road and the number of times you fall down.
You can’t be successful in something if you give up, and if success was as simple as an achievement then our lives would have no meaning past the day we achieve that “thing” we’ve been hoping for. True success requires continual pursuit, even after you hit that next goal you’ve been running towards.
Contact Info:
- Email: jennaleephotog@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/jennaleephotog
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/jennalphotos
