Check Out Sue Jergens’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sue Jergens.  

Sue, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started my photo journey almost 24 years ago. As a new mom, I started taking pictures of my sons. Ann Gedes photos were big at that time, so of course, I had to place my toddlers in big ceramic pots with floral headpieces. 

I then moved on to taking photos of them with DIY angel wings and cloudy sky backgrounds. You could say I was a “DIY” fanatic. It was at that time that I truly fell in love with photography. With a click of the shutter, I preserved a memory that could never be recreated. It was pure magic. 

Like many early photographers, we started out with film (this medium will always hold a special place in my heart). Then we were introduced to digital and wow!!! Even though the skin looked like plastic and the grass was neon green, it was life-changing. 

I turned this hobby into a business, under Susan Jergens Photography where I combined film and digital and took many weddings, portraits, and business photos over the years. 

I took a break from photography as life got busy but found myself drawn back to it and started Kai Photography. 

I am a lifestyle photographer and love working with children, pets, families, high school seniors, and businesses. My focus is to create little squares of happiness for you. Photography is so powerful as it takes us back to that moment in time. I want to preserve your special moments and to help individuals/businesses with taking amazing images for their social media and websites. 

I am also a firm believer in giving back. Over the years, I have helped many great charities with their photography needs. I encourage all to give back in whatever capacity they can as it is truly life-changing. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The biggest challenge I have is pricing for my craft. As an artist, it is so hard to charge what we are truly worth. Yes, everyone has a smartphone that takes awesome images but with a professional photographer, you are getting years of experience and training to make you look and feel the best in your images. 

Let’s not even discuss the boxes and boxes of photography equipment I purchased. Shhh!!! Don’t tell my husband. 

An obstacle I think we all have is thinking we don’t look our best right now. I am here to tell you that you are beautiful right now and to not put off preserving your memories. 10, 20 years from now you won’t even notice what you thought was “bad” about you at that time. Trust me, I never hired a photographer when I was a young mom (I was always trying to lose that baby weight) and regret it. I don’t have those beautiful family images and I am not even in 90% of our family photos as I was always the one taking them. 

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I think more than ever there will be a demand for more beautiful and real photos. Gone are those days of overly processed images. People are looking for natural, realistic tones and powerful images that tell a story. 

As a photographer, it is important to hone our videography skills. This is an area I plan to start getting more training in. With the changes in Instagram and other platforms like Tick Tock, videos are on the rise. 

Pricing:

• Lifestyle Sessions starting at $350
• High School Seniors starting at $525
• Events starting at $500
• Weddings – Please call
• Studio Images – starting at $200

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://www.kaiphotos.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaiphotographybysj/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KaiPhotographybySueJergens