Capturing Candid Moments with Emma Jeanson Photography
Collider is passionate about sharing the stories of entrepreneurs and small business owners! We recently chatted with local photographer, Emma Jeanson, about her experience!
Photo by Emma Jeanson
Born and raised in Rochester, Emma Jeanson first became interested in photography because of her grandfather, who was an avid photographer himself.
“My grandpa had a little lighting studio in his basement where he predominantly took portraits of people and flowers. He would print and mount all of his own photos. When I was a senior, he taught me about lighting and camera settings and helped me set up a tripod and take my own senior photos.”
After graduating from high school, Emma pursued nursing at Rochester Community and Technical College. While she was there, she took a photography class to fulfill a general education requirement.
“I really have a connection to that program and I would recommend it to anyone. It’s the only formal photography education I ever had, but I learned so much.”
After college, Emma became a nurse at Mayo Clinic. People also started coming to her, asking if she would take photos for them.
“My photography business bloomed very naturally. People I knew started coming to me before I was even very good at taking photos. I thought it was a good opportunity too, since Rochester wasn’t oversaturated with photographers.”
For the next several years, Emma continued working as a nurse as well as taking on photography clients and honing her skills by practicing and watching videos.
“To build my business, I initially did some free photo shoots, just to build up some material to promote my work. From there I was able to start advertising and getting more clients.”
Photo by Emma Jeanson
In 2017, Emma was urged by her husband to take a big step and create a photography business.
“My husband told me, ‘If we’re going to do this, we need to go all in and commit.’ So we worked hard to make a great website, a friend helped me put together a wedding guide, we built up a social media presence and dove right in. Thankfully my husband has a good business brain, because I definitely have an artist's brain.” Emma said with a laugh.
For Emma, some of the greatest challenges to starting her business were making personal improvements to her photography and finding her style.
“Even though the class I took in college taught me a lot, there was still so much to learn and teach myself. There are a lot of camera settings you need to know, as well as learning how to pose people well, and how to capture good candid shots. It also took me some time to develop my personal photography style, which is important because that is what sets me apart from other photographers.”
Photo by Emma Jeanson
For Emma’s photography clients, she works hard to “capture your most candid moments,” whether that be for family photos, senior portraits, newborns, engagements, branding photos, or weddings.
“I love shooting weddings, and I always promise my couples that I will be the easiest part of their day. I’ll be their friend; I’ll be there to laugh and be a part of the wedding party. I get along with everyone and I’m always ready to capture those real moments during their special day.”
Photo by Emma Jeanson
Emma finds the feedback of her clients to be the most rewarding part of her work. “It’s always my main goal to take photos that my clients will love, to understand what they were looking for, and make that happen for them.”
As a word of advice to anyone considering starting a business, Emma said, “Just go for it. Don’t let the fear of failure hold you back. I wasted time and held myself back just because I was afraid. When I finally took the leap, I didn’t fail.”
She also said that it’s a good idea to have a backup plan when starting a business. Emma herself has continued to work in nursing supplementally.
Lastly, she said, “Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it, and don't forget to rest and take care of yourself. You’re only one person and you can only do so much. I’m really lucky to have my husband, friends, and assistant photographers to help me. Running a business isn’t easy; you need to do the work. But you also need to do the work in a way that won’t make you hate it. The whole point is doing something you love.”
Photo by Emma Jeanson
Thank you for taking the time to read Emma’s story! If you find value in this content, please consider donating to help Collider continue amplifying the voices of Rochester entrepreneurs. You can also find out more about Emma’s photography by clicking the link below!
Article by Corrie Strommen, Director of Community at Collider.
