Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeff Dillow.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jeff. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started my career in TV news back in Indiana where I grew up. After 3 years of odd and long hours, my wife & I decided to launch Jeff Dillow Photography. We hit a stroke of luck, by being chosen to offer a Groupon for one-hour family photo sessions. We sold over 100, which gave me the practice I needed to turn a hobby, into a full-time career.
We eventually moved into weddings, which was a natural progression since my wife worked as a wedding & event coordinator for a local museum. Eventually, we decided Indiana wasn’t for us (hot summers & frigid winters), so we packed up and moved to San Diego.
Effectively, when it came to clients, I had to start from the ground up. Thanks to The Knot advertising and meeting a few key planners in the area, we didn’t skip a beat. That was 2014, and we haven’t looked back.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I feel incredibly blessed to work from home. The freedom to watch my son grow up, or take a long-trip back to Indiana to visit grandparents is definitely not under-appreciated. However, with the flexibility also comes uncertainty. The biggest struggle since day one, and I don’t think it will ever actually go away, was simply not knowing what each year would bring. Planning for the future becomes very difficult, but we continue to put our heads down, enjoy the job I’ve got, and just live life.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Jeff Dillow Photography story. Tell us more about the business.
Jeff Dillow Photography specializes in weddings. I’ll shoot anything from maternity to celebration of life, but I’m passionate about weddings. I believe we’re known for a photojournalistic and non-intrusive style. I purposefully travel light on wedding days. I could surely bring more lighting, bounces, shades, strobes and countless other accessories to turn the wedding day into an editorial shoot, but that’s not what I enjoy. I enjoy capturing moments that happen in a split second.
I’m most proud of the clients who are attracted to us. Either we’re the very fortunate, or there’s something about the way we carry ourselves that is a magnet to down-to-earth, caring & fun to work with couples. We’ve not had a single issue beyond the typical wedding day timeline shifts, with any of our clients, and I’m really proud of that.
What sets us apart from other photographers is our ability to both stay within our style, and adapt to the wants and needs of each couple. I always say that we’re not shooting for us, we’re shooting for you, and that’s true. If you look over the past couple years there is a thread that ties all the images together, that you can’t put words on, but it’s there. I think having that consistency is rare in a constantly changing photography marketplace.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Luck has such a negative connotation to it, so I wouldn’t say I’ve been lucky to get to where I am. I’ve worked really hard and tried to put myself in the best place to succeed that I could. But, I’d be lying to say that some amazing things haven’t happened.
Within a couple months of taking up photography, I got to offer a Groupon that gave me over 100, 1-hour shoots with families. Looking back, I made almost no money because of the discount, and Groupon’s cut, but there’s no way I’d be the photographer I am today without that real world practice.
Pricing:
- 8 hours of wedding day coverage (one shooter) – $2000
- 8 hours of wedding day coverage (two shooters) – $2500
- 2 hours engagement session – $300
Contact Info:
- Website: jeffdillow.com
- Phone: 3174439337
- Email: jeff@jeffdillow.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeffdillowphoto/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeffdillowphotography/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/jeff-dillow-photography-san-diego
Image Credit:
Jeff Dillow
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