Today we’d like to introduce you to Jami Laree Jeskey.
Jami Laree, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I always knew two things about my life, I wanted to own my own business and I wanted to do something creative. As a child I wasn’t exactly sure what that meant for me, but I did know it was my path. My parents were entrepreneurs and my Mother was an artist, so I grew up in a very creatively open and artistic home. I also grew up in a very broken and hostile home, so creativity was an escape for me, a way to express myself and feel a sense of freedom. Right out of high school, I enrolled in a culinary arts program with the dream of becoming a private chef. I was simultaneously taking my general education classes, which happened to include a photography class among a few other art classes. I found myself in the kitchens surrounded by beautiful food and chaos, heightened emotions and creative energy, and I fell in love with photographing it all.
I remember standing there photographing the food and realizing that I loved photographing the experience of cooking rather than actually cooking. That’s how it was with most things at that point in my life, I loved photographing everything, landscapes, wildlife, people and life. I knew then that working in a kitchen wasn’t what I wanted anymore, and after one semester I dropped out and immediately changed my major to photography. I spent hours inside a darkroom developing film and prints, from sunup to sundown some days. I fell in love with everything photography related, and I haven’t put my camera down since.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I am a Wedding and Engagement Photographer with a huge passion for the outdoors. It took me a long time to come into my own and feel confident in my craft though. I used to photograph anything and everything, and while that gave me a lot of knowledge, it also drained me mentally and creatively because I wasn’t creating images from a place of authenticity and purpose. After a lot of self-growth and planning my own wedding, I finally began approaching wedding photography in a way that felt more authentic to who I am as a person with the hope that likeminded people would gravitate towards that. A beautiful blend of human connection and nature, and that’s what I strive to fill my life and work with nowadays. Even if I have clients who aren’t avid outdoors folk, I think people ultimately feel some sense of connection to love and the earth. I always have hope that people feel a sense of happiness when they see my work, that my clients feel confident in who I am and what I’m capable of creating for them. I want to encourage people to be unapologetically themselves, to laugh like no one is looking, to remember what their wedding day is all about, to focus on one another and find quiet moments to connect, to get outdoors, enjoy life, and explore. I want my wedding clients to feel and experience their wedding day with positivity, happiness and love. My work is a little bit bad ass, and a little bit pretty. It’s balanced with tradition and non-traditional elements. I just want to make people feel happy and understood, whatever that personally means to them, with their traditions and ideas of love.
Artists rarely, if ever pursue art for the money. Nonetheless, we all have bills and responsibilities and many aspiring artists are discouraged from pursuing art due to financial reasons. Any advice or thoughts you’d like to share with prospective artists?
Especially in a field like photography that interconnects art and technology, financial struggles can sometimes feel discouraging. In a world where technology is constantly changing, there’s a perceived pressure to have the latest and greatest. With that comes equipment that is costly. However, I’ve always been an advocate of the idea that it’s not how expensive your tools are, it’s mastering how to use what you have and finding ways to achieve something using basic tools. My first camera was a hand-me-down film camera and some expired film. My husband created beauty lights for my flashes using $1 plastic plant pots and tin foil. Start with the absolute basics and build from there, get creative and resourceful. Most art is created from a place of struggle, use that struggle to inspire you. Step outside of the box and see what the possibilities available to you are. There are a lot of free local meet ups and artist groups to surround yourself with an artistic community that can help encourage and support you.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
My portfolio can be found online via my website, and Instagram. I absolutely love connecting with people on social media. I think it’s a good reminder that there’s a real human behind the images they see and a way for people to get to know the artist behind the art.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jamilaree.com
- Email: hello@jamilaree.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/jamilaree_photo
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/JamiLareePhoto
Image Credit:
Jami Laree Photography
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
