Conversations with Jennifer Cole

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Cole. 

Hi Jennifer, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Ever since I was a little girl photographs have always meant so much to me. They have always brought me so much joy. Growing up, I always loved taking pictures of my family with disposable cameras. There was always just something so comforting about grabbing my family photo albums, sitting down, and looking at every single photo. I had to know every story behind every photo. I would drive my mom crazy! When I was a young girl, my grandma passed away. It was then that it really hit me that photos and memories are really all that we leave behind. Photos take you back in time to that exact moment and you are able to re-live those memories, even if those people are no longer with us. 

My love for photography continued to grow after I had my first child. As a new mom, I felt like time was just slipping away…slipping right on through my fingertips, I wanted to remember her tiny newborn face, the way she pouted her little lip in her sleep, her first smile, her dimpled baby hands, the way she held my hand, her turned-up nose. I quickly learned that being a new mommy was not easy and neither was having a baby with medical issues. While struggling to navigate motherhood myself and wanting to fulfill my passion for helping people, I became a parenting program volunteer at the hospital to help new moms and babies. It was such a wonderful experience and it was then that I fell deeper in love with newborns, the beauty of motherhood, and the bond between moms and babies. 

As for the business side, I purchased a Canon DSLR after my first was born and I remember not even knowing how to operate it. I felt so defeated and so there it sat in the box for years. Time passed and I was shattered that I didn’t have those pictures I wanted to look back on. So, I took a course to learn the basics of my camera and started practicing on my daughter, family, and friends. After time I was asked to take pictures for more people. I was a stay-at-home mom at that time to two children with health issues. I was unable to return to the working world that I once knew. With a bachelor’s degree in business, I wondered if I could turn my passion into a business. After much hesitation and self-doubt, I put myself out there and started my photography business in 2017. Life happened, years passed, the pandemic hit, and in 2021 I had my fourth and last baby! This IS the year! This is the year that I am no longer just a mom! 2022 is the year that I am giving to myself to learn, grow, and put myself out there more as a photographer and really establish my business. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Oh, absolutely not. But if things were always easy and smooth, we would not grow as individuals, learn how strong we are, figure out who we are or what we are capable of. I wear a lot of hats in my life and am learning how to juggle them all! But starting out as this little tiny hobbyist photographer in a world full of so many talented and amazing photographers has been so scary, defeating, and challenging. It has always been so scary for me to put my work out there among others. There is so much more that goes into photography than just taking a picture! I have struggled with confidence and thinking my work is not good enough. Figuring out ways to create my own style and image that reflects in my work has been a challenge. This year I am dedicated to doing just that though! I want people to be able to look at my images and feel the emotions that I feel when I am in that moment! I am learning things about myself and who I am and am growing as an individual. Along the way I am slowly becoming more confident and realizing that even though I am just starting out I bring something special to the photography world, I am so very grateful for my clients who continue to support me and allow me to capture these memories for them! It is a true honor! 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialize in family and newborn photography. I am not a big posed, prop photographer. I love the candid, raw, real moments of life. I love the details and the unplanned moments. The way a mom wipes away the tears off her child’s face, a mother nursing her tiny babe, the way a father looks at his beautiful family. I hope that people who look at my images can feel these raw emotions and can feel what I feel when I am in that moment during the shoot. I hope it can even bring them back to a moment of time in their own lives. 

I care so deeply and am a person who will give and keep on giving. Being a mom of four and having many years of experience caring for other children and newborns allows me to truly connect with my clients. For me, it is much more than just being a photographer. I am here to support other moms, babies, and families through their incredible journey! Life is not perfect or easy and I want my clients to know that they are not alone. Especially new moms! While capturing these precious memories, if I can make one mom’s world a little brighter or can be that one ounce of support that she needs to get her through the toughest, most raw, and beautiful moments of her life, that is what I am here for and passionate about! 

Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I have recently met some amazing and talented photographers that I am in awe of, look up to, and inspire to be like. My photography journey has really just begun and I look forward to continuing to learn, grow, and create! I am always open to new opportunities. Each day I am working on stepping more and more out of my little safe and comfortable shell! I would love the opportunity to have a photography mentor! Someone who can help guide me, show me the ropes, and help me grow as a photographer! 

A huge thank you to my clients who allow me to be a part of their journey and capture these truly amazing memories! I am forever grateful! 

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifercole_photography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenColePhotography/