Rising Stars: Meet Jeffrey Lewis Bennett of Clawson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeffrey Lewis Bennett

Hi Jeffrey Lewis, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was into photography as a hobby in high school and college but I didn’t think it was something anyone would pay me to do. I studied fine arts: painting, drawing, and design. After graduating I landed a job as a graphic designer / web designer. It wasn’t long until I was planning photo shoots for work when I couldn’t find what I wanted in stock images. The first wedding photos I captured were of friends. Wedding photography quickly filled up my weekends and became my main hobby. The first 7 years of my photography business I was still working a full time design job. Looking back on that time now I think it was poor work/life balance. Common entrepreneur story, I know, but it wasn’t exactly “work”. I really enjoyed photographing couples. It’s been 15 years now, since I left my day job to pursue photography full time. I still love it.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I don’t think I’ve ever gotten used to how different each year of running your own business can be. There have been stretches where I’ve been fully booked for the next 24 months and stretches with so few bookings I got pretty worried. One of the strangest times was between 2013 and 2015 when I had “15 minutes of fame”. Some of my work caught the eye of a reporter and suddenly I was a feature story on the front page of the Huffington Post. This led to dozens of other news outlets calling, even an Australian morning news show. The attention did lead to extra business but it was also a huge distraction in the middle of my busy season. Then many other business owners began telling me what I should do next. It was all variations on ways to grow the brand, and for me to become a manager. These other successful entrepreneurs believed it was time for me to just be the face of the company and I needed to hire others to do the actual work. What they missed is what I love about this career. I love taking the photos and I love editing the photos. I was not interested in changing that. Eventually the “fame” wore off, the reporters quit calling. I wrestled with doubt. Did I still had any talent? Coming down off that high I focused on improving my work and customer service. A decade later there isn’t even much in my portfolio from that era.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
One of the biggest areas of improvement over the years has not been in working the camera gear but in handling humans. Anything can happen on a wedding day and some of those days can include quite a lot of stressful situations. A wedding can also have many different egos that need to be addressed. I’ve learned to be a calming presence no matter what challenges arise or which family member thinks they need to take control.

Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
The YouTube channel “yoga with adriene” absolutely helped me learn to breathe through stress. I’ve also been enjoying the book “Lighter” by Yung Pueblo. All of Yung Pueblo’s books are about positivity and harmony.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jlbwedding.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jlbwedding/