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Hey, I'm Jocelyn, an Ohio based photographer!
my journey from 9-5 corporate to full time photography

I didn't always want to be a photographer, but I always wanted to be an artist. 

As long as I can remember, I've loved art. I love making beautiful things as well as finding beauty in the people and places around me. Despite being a hopelessly romantic creative, I am also a very practical person. So, when I was in my senior year of high school and trying to decide where to go to college I told myself that could be creative, BUT I had to make it fit into a "real" job. Something that would lead to a steady consistent office job. I decided that the best that I could do was Fashion Merchandising. I love clothes, keeping up on trends, and I know how to sew. I thought that merging my interest in fashion with a practical "adult job" would be my best move. So I packed up my bags and headed up to Kent State University to start my Freshman year in the fashion school. 

I cried. A lot. 

​I was totally lost. I hated my major. I did not like fashion school, and I definitely did not want to be a merchandiser or forecaster or buyer.... or anything related. However, I had one fashion tech class that introduced us to Adobe Photoshop. I was in LOVE. I was instantly hooked and wanted to keep making digital art. I switched to graphic design with a minor in photography my sophomore year. 

I loved learning about graphic design and photography. However, the whole time I told myself that design had to be my focus no matter how much I enjoyed photography. I thought design was a more marketable skill and that I would find more jobs as a graphic designer. I think this is where God starts making it pretty clear to me that He's in control...

The minute I started looking for jobs, I only landed photography jobs. I worked in a portrait studio for a while during college, and then when I needed an internship I became a photographers assistant for a global housewares company. I kept doing product photography at the housewares company as a photographers assistant and content producer for 3 years. During that time, my love for photography grew. My skills and knowledge also grew.

​So how did I jump from product photography to people?

I started to get restless in my corporate 9-5. I wanted to photograph the way I wanted to photograph. I wanted to work for myself and not a  corporation that actually didn't care about me as a person. I wanted to work with people instead of products. I wanted to capture the emotion and memories and LIFE that comes with portrait and wedding photography. I wasn't finding that in product photography. I was so afraid to leave though. I was afraid to leave the security of a 9-5. I really did appreciate the insurance and consistent paycheck. Just quitting your stable job is not a practical decision. Especially if it's before your side hustle has a big client base.  But I wasn't feeling fulfilled. I wasn't living up to my potential as an artist. I truly felt like there was more.

So after a lot of prayer. I did it. I quit my job and decided to start making my way as a full-time photographer. I finally realized that my business would never take off if I never devoted the time to it. There would never be any growth if I didn't make room for growth. Is it scary? A little. But not as scary as never pursuing my dream. 

​So here I am! That's a little bit about me. I think it's important to share a bit about my life and some of the heart behind my business. I think it's important for you to know me because I also want to get to know you!  Hiring a photographer is a big decision and an investment! I want you to feel comfortable in front of my lens. I want you to feel cared for and seen, and I want to capture the real you in your photos! 

If you've made it to the bottom of this post, thanks for sticking around! I hope you've liked what you've seen so far! I can't wait to work with you. 

xoxo 
​Jocelyn