Today we’d like to introduce you to Jasmine Newton.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Javon. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I have always loved taking photos. Ever since my stepdad bought me a Kodak camera when I was ten years old, photography was on my list of things to pursue. Funny thing is it was towards the end of my list… becoming someone like Beyonce was at the top. My entire resume is actually various jobs in customer service. Retail and call centers were what I had experience in. I thought I was going to climb the career ladder in that industry…. until I was fired back in April 2015. After six years of working for ADT, they let me go and I was not sure what my future would be. I was tired of trying over and over again to climb upward, only to not be able to pass the first rung of the ladder. I was tired of companies telling me what I was worth and when I could spend time with my family. I was over companies being able to force me to change my hours even if I didn’t want them changed. I exhausted with being good enough to train the supervisor, but never being good enough to be one. So, I knew I didn’t want to just find another job in customer service.
A couple of my close friends suggested I start a photography business. The idea was laughable to me at the time: 1. I didn’t know anything about business. 2. I didn’t know anything about photography. However, the idea stuck and I started learning how to use a camera I already owned. This camera, a Canon 70D, was what I used to make YouTube videos. I knew how to record videos with it, but I didn’t really know how to take beautiful photos with it. So, I took the time to learn. By June 2015, I had my business license and was officially in business. From that time to now, I have networked, sacrificed and strategized to get in front of as many people as I can. The journey so far has been exciting, humbling, scary and a huge lesson in who I am at my core. I love what I do and I hope I never have to work for anyone else again. Working for myself is so much more fulfilling. Knowing when a client is happy is so much more exciting… because I know how hard I worked from start to finish on that client’s project.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Being an entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart. It is HARD. Sometimes even heartbreaking. I can’t tell you how many times I have cried, thought about going back to working for someone else, cried again and downright just wanted to give up. I always said… if the cons effected only me, I would be fine. I WANT to sacrifice to reach my goals. However, that gets more complicated when you have a family and your sacrifice automatically becomes theirs. Especially when you have a bad month and the money is tight. You start to wonder if all this is worth it. When those times comes you really have to be in tune with your spirit and listen to what can sometimes feel like the smallest quietest voice inside of you… and follow that. Follow your gut. Be intentional. Another struggle was pricing myself and educating potential clients on why my pricing is what it is. Everyone values different things and services in different ways. Finding people who value portrait photography can be difficult in the beginning. Especially if you have not found your brand voice yet.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I am a portrait photographer. I love taking photos of people. I love capturing their essence. I specialize in photographing women 30-60, who want a day to just feel amazing, gorgeous and a priority. As women, we give so much of ourselves and most of the time we don’t feel like the world gives back. I understand that feeling and I want to show these women that they are loved, they are stunning and they are powerful. I care about my clients. One thing I do with my clients before I photograph them is having a consultation. That is where we talk about how they want to be photographed and how they want their hair and makeup. We also talk about WHY this portrait is important to them. Why they want to feel beautiful, what they intend to do with their portrait and how they want it to feel. My clients often leave feeling like they just had a therapy session. I love it. In order for me to capture my clients correctly, I need to dive into who they are and why. That process of getting to know them is always fascinating to me.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
In 2017, I won second place internationally in my the contemporary portrait category for the Portrait Masters Awards. It was the first time I had ever submitted my photos for anything. I was shocked and had no idea how to react to it. I didn’t expect to get that high of a score, let alone being in second place and featured on their website. It truly was the moment I finally accepted that I was a real professional photographer, lol.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1717 Depot Drive
Powell, TN 37849 - Website: www.javonreneeportraits.com
- Phone: 865-214-6364
- Email: javonreneeportraits@gmail.com
Image Credit:
My headshot, Photographer: Stephanie Richer
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