Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenna Martin.
Hi Jenna, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, you could tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’m Jenna, a luxury wedding and editorial photographer serving Cincinnati, Ohio, and beyond. I started photography when I was 15 years old. My grandfather was also a photographer, and I remember watching him with so much fire in my eyes, dreaming of how I could be like him when I grew up. He took notice, and on a family trip to Washington, DC, he let me take photos and started showing me the ropes and rules about composition, setting up your lighting, and how to tell a story in a photograph. From there, I fell utterly in love with the craft. I prided myself on doing free photoshoots with my friends and families at my church, gleefully sharing my favorite images with my Papaw after each shoot. He passed away during the winter of my first year at college. I realized just how important images are as my family and I were combing through photos of him leading up to his funeral. I knew instantly I needed to continue his legacy. And now, here I am doing the very thing I watched my grandfather do. Now, I can tell many people’s stories worldwide through a camera lens. Although my main focus these days is in the realm of weddings, I love crafting and bringing a story to life.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been smooth in the slightest. I’ve had to pivot a bunch. I’m just now starting to have a successfully running business. I moved from NC to the Middle East for two years, then back to NC, and settled in Cincinnati almost two years ago. Even amid those moves, I was shooting as much as possible, but I wasn’t an established brand. I was shooting some weddings, but when I moved overseas, I took a long hiatus from them and mainly focused on photojournalism and street photography. All the while, I missed shooting weddings while I was away. I love fashion and all things bridal, and I was ready to return to the wedding industry when I moved to Cincinnati. I had to rebrand myself, which was tough, but it taught me to keep going and be resilient.
Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a wedding photographer based in the Midwest (Cincinnati, Ohio). As I mentioned, I love fashion, specifically bridal fashion, so I always try to merge my love of fashion photography with how I tell wedding stories. I approach things unconventionally, even if it’s pretty out there and against the grain. I shot a wedding recently, with fascinating gold drapes hanging all over the space, and it was pretty dark. So, instead of taking the groom outside for his portraits, we set up my flash and lighting indoors and created something significantly different. I was pleased with the result!
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
That art ebbs and flows. My vision and style are constantly changing and evolving, and comparing my work to someone else’s to try and achieve that same “look” will lead to burnout and discontentment. I had to learn to stay in my lane and create from a space that inspires me the most in my shooting environment. My work doesn’t resemble “this big-name photographer” or that artist who always shoots at Lake Como. My work looks like me, and I’m proud of it.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jennamartinphoto.co
- Instagram: instagram.com/jennamartin.co
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092523044478
Image Credits
Headshot taken by Lauren Neal
