Meet Jo McAlvin of Jo Ellen Photography in Cobb County

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jo McAlvin.

Jo, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am originally from New York (Long Island) and relocated to GA in 2008 for my career…2 years and one reorganization later and I was among the ranks of unemployed. It never really knew what I wanted to do when I grew up and this situation gave me the opportunity to finally pursue my dreams.

When I was a child, I developed my passion for photography after receiving a Kodak 110 camera on my 10th birthday. My kids do not understand that there was a thing called film and you couldn’t take 500 pictures at once OR that you would have to wait to see the pictures you took! But, that’s what I did for the next 6-7 years, I bought those little film cartridges and snapped away. We would actually mail the film out, since it was cheaper to process film that way. I would have to wait a week or more to get them back and, by then, the anticipation would be killing me!!! I would say that most were horrible, but that didn’t stop me. And now, I have so many photo albums from back then…negatives long gone, the color fading. The fun thing, is I have great memories of taking all sorts of pictures with that little camera.

I finally got my 1st DSLR Camera in 2010, after that lay off, and couldn’t have been happier. I used that time to take the Professional Photographers course from the New York Institute of Photography. I would snap away randomly, I love clouds, scenery, architecture and my 3 kids….I like to believe that I can see beauty and capture it to share with everyone.

In 2012, “Moments captured by Jo” was born. I started off doing primarily parties and events. In 2016 I “re-branded” myself and changed my business name to “Jo Ellen Photography”. I am the Official photographer for my communities HOA doing all of their social events, I have taken photos of my daughters HS Dance team for the past 2 years and I am expanding now to do Senior Portraits, as well as family and children, maternity and newborn, head shots and am still doing parties and events.

I suppose that I am forever a work in progress….always looking for the next great shot!

Has it been a smooth road?
That’s hard to answer. I began my business in 2012, but eventually went back to work FT which left me less time to focus on photography. I would still work at it and have jobs – but I wasn’t marketing myself to grow. I stayed in my comfort zone because I struggled with comparison – and still do sometimes. I would look at others work and feel that they were better. It wasn’t until 2015 or so when I started learning additional skills and developing my own style – that’s when I finally came into my own.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
My business focus has always been to capture life’s little moments and create a lifetime of memories. As a mom, I realize how you “blink” and 10 years has passed. I feel that is so important to capture the images – whether candid or posed to document a moment in time. My proudest moments are when someone genuinely thanks me or when I see my photos posted on other people’s social media, etc.

There are a lot of wonderful photographers around, and my customers have a lot of options to choose from. I would like to think that the quality of my work, fair prices, integrity and overall attention to their vision is what sets me apart.

I would love for you to contact me discuss your needs or ideas and let me capture those moments for you!!

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I am located in Acworth and there is a lot of competition here. For anyone just starting out, it’s all about getting your name out there – volunteer to take pictures at a variety of events, donate a session for a raffle drawing, etc. Just show them who you are and what you can do.

Contact Info:

• Address: Acworth, GA 30101
• Website: www.joellenphoto.com
• Phone: 678-923-2221
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/joellenphoto
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/joellenphoto
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/joellenphoto

Image Credit:
All images shared were taken and owned by Jo Ellen Photography

Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.