Today we’d like to introduce you to Jinnifer Douglass.
Hi Jinnifer, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Photography isn’t just a hobby or a side hustle for me, it’s my life. Based in Brooklyn with 10+ years of professional experience, I love working with individuals, creative teams, small businesses, and global brands to capture clean, confident, story-driven images.
I specialize in:
Event photography – from private gatherings to panels, launches, and nightlife
Portraits – editorial, lifestyle, creative headshots, and artist profiles
Brand + content photography – visual assets for campaigns, websites, and social media
My early training began in the age of analog, using manual 35mm film cameras and learning traditional darkroom techniques to develop film and create prints (because digital simply did not exist yet!). I continued my education obtaining degrees in both Cinematography and Visual Communications, along with multiple technical certifications.
When digital cameras eventually came into prominence I was gifted with my first ‘point and shoot’ for my 21st birthday, happily using several models of those to take casual snapshots for many years. I eventually decided to get serious in improving my skills and images, and I acquired my first entry-level DSLR around 2012. Using that to practice shooting portraits and events for friends and family, it finally occurred to me that maybe this could be more than just an enjoyable interest. I then began investing in professional level equipment, and went back to school to get the additional training necessary to make the jump from passion to profession.
Before that (and overlapping with), I spent most of my occupational life in the tech world largely in systems administration, network architecture, and web developing. I eventually began working as an in-house/staff photographer for various companies, then after a few years I decided to take ‘the big leap’ and transitioned from being an employee to a full-time freelancer around 2018, and I have never looked back! As a full-time professional freelance photographer, I execute an average of 2 photoshoots per day, almost every single day and I don’t even touch social media, which always seems to get an interesting reaction whenever it comes up. But I’m here to prove that you don’t need to spend hours on Instagram every day to get clients, you need to meet them when and where they are ready to buy, and hint hint: it’s not there haha. But I have a (maybe an unfair) leg-up on other folks who don’t have decades of web development, design and SEO best practices under their belt.
I’ve partnered with global brands like TikTok, Marriott, Starbucks, Uber, Sotheby’s, Google, Swarovski, USPS, Bit.ly, WeWork, Squarespace, American Express, and Make Up For Ever — and I continue to work with both new and returning clients across diverse industries. My photography is also licensed via Getty and Adobe, and featured in 90+ rooms at the Moxy Hotel in Columbus, OH. But I don’t just shoot commercial work, so many of my shoots are for the special moments in the lives of real, everyday people who want something beyond cell phone snapshots, something special. I shoot weddings, baptisms, anniversaries, birthdays, and everything in between!
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?
I’ve always been a bit of a gambler when it came to big life decisions, some work out and some don’t. Thanksfully this one was one of the ones that did. After spending more than 20 years as a “regular employee,” I decided to take the leap into freelancing. Walking away from a predictable paycheck and the sense of security that comes with it was terrifying, but I knew it was time to take some calculated risks.
I’d worked in tech for most of my career, but photography had always been my passion. Over the years, it started sneaking into my professional life—many of my jobs combined the two, and I was freelancing in both areas on the side. In late 2018, I quit my last “real job,” thinking I’d just find another one like before. But after months of searching and getting nowhere, I started to wonder if maybe the universe was sending me a message: maybe it was finally time to bet on myself for real. Play it safe, but not too safe, you know? I thought “Hey, maybe this is a sign. I’ve always wanted to strike out on my own for real, for good; and if not now, then when? When would it ever be ‘the right time’?”.
So, I made a plan. Before quitting, (it was a long time coming), I crunched the numbers—I figured out what my expenses would be for six months in case I didn’t earn a single dollar, and I took out a personal loan to give myself that cushion (of course you have to do this while you still have that ‘real job’ because they do not like to give loans out to freelancers haha). Then I went all in.
At first, I tried to do it all—web development, design, photography, IT work—but that spread me too thin and the projects were too difficult to manage all together. Once I decided to focus entirely on photography, things began to click (hehe, sorry!). It wasn’t easy; I didn’t have a financial safety net outside of the loan which I still had to pay for with or without a job, or anyone to bail me out. But within a few months, I was fully booked, barely touched the loan, and paid it off faster than I imagined. Before I knew it, I was standing on my own two feet as a full-time freelancer.
Now, six years later, I can’t imagine going back to being a “normal employee”, in NYC or anywhere. Freelancing has its challenges, sure—it ties me to bigger markets like the one I am in now because if you are you deliver a quality product and are personable and organized you will never run out of work; and moving somewhere smaller where the work very well run dry would mean probably having to reinvent myself again—which is not something I’m sure I want to do just yet, but I wouldn’t trade this freedom for anything.
If there’s something in your heart that you’ve always wanted to try, take the leap. Plan it carefully, give yourself more credit in your abilities, and don’t let fear make all of your decisions. You might be surprised at what happens when you finally bet on yourself!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I mainly specialize in portrait, event, and food photography, and my projects often mix creative and technical elements because of my background in tech. My background in graphic design, web development, and illustration/painting also rely on many of the same principals…composition, color, texture, light, emotion, etc.
That crossover has really shaped the way I work—I think analytically about the technical aspects of what I’m doing, but I also rely heavily on artist’s intuition and the connection I build with the people I photograph.
What I’m most proud of isn’t just the photos themselves, but the trust and confidence my clients give me. Whether it’s someone’s wedding day, a company’s brand story, or a creative portrait session, my goal is always to make people feel seen and celebrated in the way that they have always hoped they could be. I think what sets me apart is that I bring both a technical precision and a genuine love for people into every shoot.
I’ve built everything from the ground up, client by client, and that’s what makes it meaningful. I didn’t come from a background where freelancing was the obvious or easy choice—it took a leap of faith and a lot of persistence. So now, every time someone hires me, it’s a reminder that taking that risk was worth it, and that I get to create work that matters both to me and to the people I photograph.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
No risk, no reward, basically! Yes, you do have to work hard, but as we all know that isn’t the whole story. So many of us work so hard for so long and never see the true fruits of our labor (when we sell it to someone else, anyways); but yes, there is also a bit of luck involved and that is hard to quantify. Bad luck with doing something that stops working out, or that you lose interest in, can be exactly the thing that launches you into better luck later. It may be a little harsh, but one of my favorite quotes is “Play dumb games, win dumb prizes” and I think that can apply to anything in your life, not just career choices.
Pricing:
- My pricing starts at $350 and goes up from there based on various factors. But that base price guarantees you 1 hour of shooting time, and your choice of 25 of your favorite photos, professional edited to perfection (I do not outsource this to third parties like many other photographers do, you data is safe and always stays with me and only me.
- However! I can and often do offer either highly discounted (or even free) photoshoots to registered nonprofir organizations or other charities who are doing work that align with my own values.
- Wedding start at $1,000 and go up from there.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jinyc-photo.com
- Other: [email protected] / 646-389-2385
