be crazy enough to know you can do anything in life.

Be crazy enough to know you can do anything in life.

This morning I am a guest “judge” in a photography class at a local college. Being offered this role got me thinking… how am I qualified to be a guest judge? Me, a self taught photographer? Photography is subjective, just like any art, isn’t it? How am I qualified to stand in front of a group of students and to tell them what to “fix”? The more I thought about it, the more I realized that my path isn’t what makes me qualified… it is where I am now.

I just bought myself a new present for the studio… a sign that completely captures where my journey as a photographer began. Well, maybe where my journey as a professional photographer began, because to some degree I have always been a photographer.

11 years ago I decided to take a photography class with the intention of advancing my skills as a hobbyist. I didn’t have kids yet, which in my world meant that I could spend some extra time developing a skill that I had always loved.

I knew I wanted to focus on portraits, so for my final project I borrowed a baby and I went to town. I even hung a beautiful backdrop and bought some clip-on lights so that I could nail the lighting. I had no idea how to use my camera in manual mode. I didn’t know what ISO, aperture, and shutter speed meant. I obviously also had no clue what a focal point was. I just knew that I wanted to take pictures of a cute baby. So friends, here you have it, my very first session:

That right there is some gold, isn’t it? It’s amazing I didn’t immediately start bringing the clients in. All joking aside, I will tell you this… when I look at these pictures now I see horrible white balance, out of focus eyes, blurry toes, terrible lighting, harsh shadows, and a really cute baby. You know what her parents saw then and still see now? Their baby. They somehow loved these images back then, and they still love them now. They told me I captured her little expressions and really documented this stage in her life. Quite frankly, if it wasn’t for this family, I am pretty sure I wouldn’t be where I am right now. They gave me the confidence to be crazy enough to know that I could do anything in life.

What I really, really, REALLY wanted to do was to be a photographer. I wanted to find each child’s distinct qualities and to help their families remember them for a lifetime.

So, I set off to become a children’s photographer. The camera skills came over time, with a LOT of practice and hard work. Shooting in manual mode, Photoshop, Lightroom, printing, cropping, editing, blogging, the part of running a business… these are all skills that are a constant work in progress. I continue to learn, I strive to grow, I always want to do better.

There are 2 parts that remain the same:
1. I am crazy enough to know I can do anything in life.
2. My passion for capturing a family’s character and personality in a creative way is unwavering. I have shifted WHAT I shoot. I’ve added event photography, bar/bat mitzvah photography, newborn photography, and family photography. I am sure over time I will continue to shift WHAT I photograph, but you know what makes me qualified to be a guest judge? At my core, I have determined WHY I shoot, and that passion has guided me along the path that I continue on.

So, 11 years later… this beautiful girl is the same one on that awful burgundy sheet you see above. The white balance is correct, the lighting is perfect, the shutter speed is exactly where it should be, the ISO is perfect, and the aperture is exactly where I want it. And you know what hasn’t changed? Her mom and dad love these images. Just like they loved the ones above.

I’d be honored to capture your family in your home, outdoors, or at my studio too! I can promise you no clip-on lights and no burgundy sheet as a backdrop.

To book a session please click on the “contact me” button at the top of this page. You can also email me at jessiehearnphotography@gmail.com.

I would really love to work with you to customize a special session just for YOU and YOUR FAMILY, at any stage in your life.
You can find my Facebook page HERE and my Instagram page HERE.

Evanston IL photographer. Skokie IL family photographer. Glenview IL newborn photographer. Wilmette IL children photographer. Chicago suburbs IL natural light and studio photographer. Lake County IL golden light photographer.