Daily Inspiration: Meet Jaclyn Willman

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jaclyn Willman.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started to really learn how to use a camera during the pandemic. I had a lot of spare time on my hands, so I took some online courses and learned everything that I could about photography. One of my good friends asked me to photograph her wedding, so I locked into learning wedding photography specifically. I started to get more creative with the lighting scenarios that I was placed in and learned a lot from all of my mistakes early on. Wedding photography was always something that I had dreamed of doing, but never thought that it would be a realistic option for me as a full-time career path. I am going on to my fifth year of doing wedding photography full-time in the Columbus, Ohio, luxury wedding photography space. It has been a very high-risk, high-reward career, and I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Some of the struggles and challenges that I have faced with my photography career, the business aspect of things. Taking the photographs is only about 20% of the business itself. I have had to do my own research on getting insurance, figuring out taxes, saving all of my receipts, and all of the legal jargon that goes along with sending out contracts for high-paying projects. This wasn’t something that I ever learned or anticipated having to learn, and it has been a bumpy road to get to where I’m at now. I made a lot of mistakes early on, and I have learned a lot of things the hard way. I often feel imposter syndrome, but when I look back to where I was 5 years ago, I am really proud of how far I have come and how much I have learned throughout this journey. It truly feels like I am chasing my dreams, and any obstacles are worth overcoming if I can have my dream of being my own boss be a reality.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a Columbus, Ohio, luxury wedding photographer. I am known for being high energy, and artistic with my work. I adjust and adapt to situations very easily and am also known for putting my couples at ease on their wedding day and with all of the planning leading up to it. I know the best spots in Columbus for photos based on the vibe of the couple. I like to make sure that their photos reflect who they truly are and I am good at finding the perfect locations and planning out the session to make sure that my clients can look back on their photos and remember exactly the way that they felt, not just how they look. What sets me apart from others is that my relationship with the couple comes first, making sure that they are comfortable and confident around me is my priority, and my photos can then reflect the true essence of their story.

What matters most to you?
What matters most to me in my business is that my clients can trust me. For wedding photography, sometimes these relationships are built years in advance before the wedding day. I truly spend a lot of time getting to know my couples from their initial inquiry to doing a phone call with them, having an engagement session, planning out their wedding timeline, wedding day, all the way up to final gallery delivery. My goal is for my clients to keep me around for life, so I can continue to capture the moments of their story progressing through all of the milestone moments that comes after the wedding day.

Pricing:

• $5500
• $5900
• $6100
• $400 / session cost

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jaccreative.co/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaccreative.co/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jaccreative.co