Today we’d like to introduce you to Jensen Nemec.
Jensen, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
One night at the beginning of 2017, I was driving at night and it was raining. I had the radio on, and I was making a music video in my head to whatever song was playing. I felt a nudge in my heart. That was the desire to TRY videography. My heart started to beat faster at the possibility of trying videography one day and wondering if I would LOVE it?! But I had only touched a digital camera and shot photos on auto for fun up until then. I had never even considered video because I believed it was way out of my reach. That night in my car, I realized that my reasons for not trying would be lack of equipment (I did not even own a digital camera at this time), lack of money, and fear of failing. I heard God say, TRY IT! So within a month of that day, I filmed my first wedding for free, and then began my journey into the videography and photography world! I also later realized that not EVERYONE makes music videos in their heads while listening to music… lol.
When I discovered my love for videography, I was in my junior year of college studying mass communications. I couldn’t find exactly pivot, and I did like what I was studying, so I kept videography as a side gig. Shortly after graduating, I received so much affirmation that videography would be what I would pursue full time eventually. So I took it and ran. I had a boyfriend (now husband) who encouraged me daily, a mom and dad who supported me in every way, and friends who came alongside me with nothing but excitement. There was no going back!!!
When COVID hit this past March, I was feeling like I needed some new ways to be creative in my business. I took some headshots in a huge beautiful field for a friend one day in April, and my heart was set ablaze with photography! I never knew how creative you can be with photography. Because you have more control with less equipment, I felt freedom in a way I hadn’t before with videography. I also love the part of photography where you are talking and interacting the WHOLE time during your shoot–usually with videography, I am silent because I am recording audio as well. And funny enough, the same variety I have in my videography shoots has carried over to my photoshoots. I find myself photographing all types of events and people, and I have loved, REALLY loved, every bit!
I decided to name my business Come Alive Visuals in January of 2018. The name “Come Alive” was inspired by a few different quotes. When I was 21 years old at a leadership meeting in college, my team leader Brady read a quote to our Young Life team. It’s by Howard Thurman, and it says, “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” This resonated with me so deeply. I started to think about passionate people I had met and been around in my own life how it seemed like the way they lived emulated this quote. I love the idea of seeking out and celebrating this in others–finding ways to challenge them in finding what makes them come alive in their own lives. “Come Alive” is also inspired from Ezekiel 37 in scripture. Ezekiel dreams of a vision of a valley of dry bones. The bones are dry, lifeless and he asks God if they can come alive again. God says to him that they can! So God speaks and then the bones form into bodies, but they still are lifeless. But then God breathes into them and they come to life – it says “a beautiful army.” This inspired me to realize that our lives and passions truly are “God-breathed” woven together from the moment we were created.
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?
The first year of having your own business is definitely the hardest. I had no gear and no mentors!!! YouTube has been my best friend for learning everything… literally EVERYTHING!
We’d love to hear more about your work.
As of right now, I am a one-woman show! I shoot everything solo, and while I would like to build up a team for certain gigs (weddings, commercials, events), I do love the freedom that shooting alone gives me. I am able to be super quick moving around and seemingly in my own world to get the shots! Shooting alone is a challenge every time, but I find it fun and freeing! Since I’ve started, I’ve been fascinated with videographers who create amazing, high-quality work with minimal equipment. For videography, I specialize in highlight reels for live events. For photography, I don’t really have a specialty yet. I truly LOVE the diversity of people and businesses I’ve been able to capture!
I am honestly most proud of my relationships with my clients. When I meet and work with someone, I truly feel SO PROUD of and invested in their business as well. I feel excited to be a part of what they’ll be able to speak and show from having photos/videos of them, their product, their business, their event, etc. I think what sets me apart from others is my ability to capture without disrupting what is already naturally happening. I strive to be very adaptable in that way. Photos and videos are so important, but if I find that I am tainting, getting in the way of, or disrupting special moments that would naturally already be happening without a camera in the room, then I am losing some of the uniqueness and intimacy of what I am shooting!
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
It’s so funny, but I’ve definitely realized that any of my favorite memories involve being outdoors. From my childhood, my favorite memory would have to be the first time I got to travel out west. My family took a two-week trip the summer before I was in eighth grade to Colorado and Wyoming. I’m not kidding when I say I DIDN’T THAT MOUNTAINS LIKE THAT EXISTED! What I saw that week and how we experienced it changed my life forever! Beauty has been magnified for me since that trip. To be in a place where the world revolves around nature, rather than around the people, was so impactful for me.
I also learned that the outdoors makes everything better. Time slows down. You realize circumstances are out of your hand (weather), and you connect more easily. I think the freedom that comes with being outdoors is in line with realizing you are having less control in life than you think. When you live in an urban or suburban area, you live with the idea that you can control most. Things, if you have the right building, the right equipment, the right kind of job, etc. But outdoors, you have to be pretty adaptable to your surroundings.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.comealivevisuals.info
- Email: comealivevisuals@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/comealivevisuals/?hl=en
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