Embracing the Unconventional Client

For Jessamyn Harris, being an award-winning professional photographer is not only a career, it’s also a way for her to follow in her family’s footsteps. Raised in a family of artists, including two grandfathers who were avid photographer hobbyists, Jessamyn grew up with no shortage of ways to express her creativity.

“I liked to take pictures, draw, paint, sculpt and be creative,” Jessamyn says, “but I didn’t really take photography seriously until college.” A few credits short for her college course load one fall, Jessamyn joined a friend in signing up for a beginning black-and-white photography class at Santa Rosa Junior College, without knowing that this would be an important first step toward her future career.

While Jessamyn describes her early interest in photography as something to do for fun, it’s clear there was more there—a sensibility that continues to inform her work with a personal touch. “I really liked taking self-portraits, so that’s what I did at first to really explore the identity of self and to just try to get a good picture of myself,” Jessamyn says. “That’s when I really became interested in taking pictures of people.”
For Jessamyn, who describes herself at the time as being very shy, an early challenge was approaching people, which wasn’t always easy. Sharing a house with another beginning photographer—as well as musicians, a graphic designer and a startup record label—helped nudge her out of her shell and gave her plenty of inspiration.

As her love of photography grew, Jessamyn, still in college, wasn’t sure where it would lead her. Fortunately, working in another photographer’s studio provided her with “the epiphany” she was in search of. “It seemed that I only knew of two types of photography—the old-fashioned portrait and commercial studio, and the struggling gallery artist—neither of which fit what I was hoping to do. Once I knew more about all the different aspects of the photography industry, I realized that I could still be really creative within a commercial framework,” Jessamyn shares.

Shortly after taking the plunge as a professional photographer, a serendipitous event steered Jessamyn toward her current field of wedding photography. In 2002, after bringing her camera to the wedding of a longtime friend, Jessamyn was pleased with the shots she got, and gave them to the couple as a wedding gift. Shortly thereafter, a client found Jessamyn through Craigslist.com and booked her, despite her lack of wedding experience. “The groom liked my non-wedding portfolio—the couple had a really laid-back wedding and just wanted totally candid shots. They were amazing and let me do whatever I wanted to do,” Jessamyn says.
Ten years after taking her first photography class, Jessamyn has established herself as a talented wedding, portrait, editorial and stock photographer whose wedding work has been recognized by Photo District News and the Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA), and featured in ReadyMade, Wondertime and other magazines.

Born in San Francisco, sixth-generation Californian Jessamyn lives in Sonoma County, CA, but routinely travels up and down the coast, anywhere from Mendocino to Monterey for her clients, in addition to trips to San Luis Obispo, CA; Portland, OR; and New York. While some of her clients live within her core Bay Area/Wine Country market, the region is popular for destination weddings as well.

People come here because of all the things Wine Country can offer—the beautiful weather, thousands of vineyards and a feeling of being away from it all. “A Napa Valley wedding is very chic,” Jessamyn says. Of course, as with any such desirable location, there’s plenty of competition to keep a young photographer on her toes. “It’s a highly saturated market and a widespread area. The variety is nice, but can be overwhelming, because it’s challenging to home in on your targeted clientele and venues. And because it’s so competitive, there is a really wide range of pricing, so it’s tough to get the client’s attention through traditional advertising,” Jessamyn says.

Besides her artistic outlook and attention to detail, one of the ways Jessamyn has set herself apart has been by embracing unconventional clients, which her background in music photography and her own personal style have helped her do. “I have had clients say things like, ‘Shoot my wedding like it’s a rock concert.’ Even though I just turned 30, I still have a lot of those youth culture sensibilities and creative friends. I like being surrounded by people who make music and art,” Jessamyn says.
Her portfolio backs up Jessamyn’s characterization of her clients as people who want a classic elegance, but also have a sense of fun, spontaneity and silliness. The flawless detail of a bride’s elegant gown is captured in one frame, while the next image may show a wedding guest leaping through the air in an inflatable bounce house or a couple’s elaborately decorated vintage getaway vehicle: a bicycle built for two.

The challenge of catering to unconventional clients while not alienating more traditional couples isn’t lost on Jessamyn, but she has struck a balance that allows her to serve clients of all tastes and backgrounds. “I try not to have anything that’s too over the top or could be actually offensive in my portfolio, but I do want it to be a realistic reflection of my sense of humor and style, and of what my clients enjoy,” Jessamyn says. “So I guess there’s a bit of self-selection there.”

[Editor’s note: This article was written prior to the passing of Prop 8 in California.] With the legalization of same-sex marriages in California, Jessamyn has recently been able to share the unique joy and excitement of many same-sex couples, young and old, who are finally able to wed. She says, “I’ve been hoping for years now to have the opportunity to witness and document commitments made between gay and lesbian couples since I fiercely believe that the bond of a loving relationship is every human’s right, and that marriage can be a powerful way for a couple to show their community that they choose each other to officially be their family.” Jessamyn continues, “I finally have the chance to work with the kindest, most deserving couples who have waited years (and in many cases, decades) to legalize their marriage commitment, and it’s amazing!”

The diversity of Jessamyn’s client base, as well as personal details about the photographer herself, can all be seen on her blog. Launched in August 2006, www.jessamynharris.blogspot.com showcases Jessamyn’s open, warm personality and sense of humor, where favorite shots from recent weddings are posted alongside snapshots from vacations with her husband, family gatherings, portrait and stock photography sessions and more.

“[The blog] started out as a very concerted effort to introduce people to my personality, allow them to see what I’ve been up to, and to find potential clients while keeping fresh in the minds of past clients,” Jessamyn says. Now she says the process is a lot more fun. Besides allowing her to stay in touch with clients, blogging has helped define her market niche.

One of her unique wedding shots has made the rounds online since it appeared in the DIY magazine ReadyMade in 2005, drawing new clients to Jessamyn’s site. In 2007, Jessamyn posted a photo showing a group of tattooed usherettes on roller skates, which was linked by offbeatbride.com and cited by Offbeat Bride creator Ariel Meadow Stallings as “one of her all-time favorite images.” A recommendation from a colleague landed Jessamyn a listing in the exclusive “Little Black Book of Wedding Vendors” at wedding blog StyleMePretty.com. Style Me Pretty creator Abby Larson has cited Jessamyn’s photos several times in the blog portion of the site.

Besides Internet buzz, Jessamyn’s work has received accolades from some of the industry’s foremost venues. Her wedding photography netted her a silver award in the Wedding Photojournalist Association’s contest, placement in Photo District News (PDN) “Top Knots: The New School of Wedding Photography” in 2007 and placement in the Artistic Guild of the WPJA’s Contests in 2007 and 2008. Her stock photography has drawn attention as well—a series of self-assigned, lifestyle stock images was recently selected for PDN’s 2008 Photo Annual.

Jessamyn also sets herself apart by continuing to offer film and alternative-process options, something that she has found her wedding clients appreciate. “A lot of people have a vintage or retro vibe they’re going for, or they just like the look of film, so I have those on my menu of options,” Jessamyn says. Even when she’s not shooting for a vintage look, she has a fondness for simplicity. Her standard gear includes a Canon EOS 5D and an array of Canon flashes and lenses. “My favorite [lens] is the 50mm f/1.4,” she says. However, Jessamyn has several tricks up her sleeve, including a 1950s Yashica A 120 medium format twin-lens reflex camera and a 1920s 4 x 5-inch view camera.

Already busy shooting portraits, weddings and stock photography, Jessamyn is always pushing herself to do more. “I would like to keep shooting weddings, but I prefer to keep things boutique-style. I don’t want to burn out, and I do want to dedicate a lot of energy and commitment to each wedding,” Jessamyn shares. As her portfolio grows, she hopes to expand her market reach further into Southern California, Mexico, Hawaii and wherever her clients want her to go.

But that’s not all that’s on the horizon for Jessamyn; she plans to add editorial work and, eventually, advertising to her already impressive resume.

“I like the… collaboration and challenge of working with art directors and people within the industry, and I like capturing the lifestyle of people in a glamorized version of their daily lives, which, after all, is what weddings are all about!” Jessamyn says.

Also on her wish list are a home studio, more travel assignments and something that most professionals could use: more time. For now, she’s redesigned her websites, creating www.jessamynharrisphoto.com for her editorial/stock photography clients, and is redesigning www.jessamyn
harrisweddings.com for her portraits and weddings site.

And the new ideas keep on coming. Facing a post-holiday shooting lull in early 2008, Jessamyn put herself into public relations mode with great results. After offering free and discounted photo shoots to blog readers and clients, she added a new portraits section to her wedding website, revamped her packages and published new product and album information. This promotion generated income from print sales, expanded her stock archive, reconnected her with past clients and allowed her to meet some new ones. And it got her 2008 wedding clients comfortable in front of the camera through engagement portrait sessions.

Over the summer, Jessamyn teamed up with photographer Lauren Cohn-Frankel to shoot a series of same-sex weddings as part of the East Bay Express’ “Wedding Wednesdays” giveaway, which awarded free wedding services to six couples. The feature caught the eye of blogger Meg of apracticalwedding.com, as well as several same-sex couples, who booked Jessamyn for their nuptials.

Jessamyn continues to put her own creative stamp on a field that’s often characterized by tradition and conservatism. From her elegant yet fun “Trash the Dress” photo shoots to her unique presents for couples such as costume jewelry diamond rings and custom-made photo pins, Jessamyn Harris has truly found a marriage of artistry and acuity that will keep her one step ahead of the competition, no matter what direction her career takes.            

Emily F. Popek is community editor for The Daily Star in Oneonta, NY. Her weekly newspaper column, “Shop Talk,” profiles local business owners. She lives in Oneonta with her husband, Michael.