Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessie Zevalkink.
Hi jessie, 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?
Hey there ! I am Jess. Jessie. JZ. JessieBrave. I’ve been known around town as a portrait photographer, storyteller, and adventurer who spent a lot of time living on sailboats… it depends on who you ask and when and where they met me.
I was an art kid, who pressed my parents and my high school counselor to sign me off on taking as few math and science requirements as possible to graduate high school so I could fill that time with creative classes. Additionally, I grew up with an power-house workforce of a mother, and a more romantic adventurer father poured himself into hobbies that provided the fam a bit of adrenaline. At 36, I’m grateful to say I’ve become a pretty even split between those two.
My photography journey started with pen and paper in high school, drawing portraits of people from photographs. Then I took my first photo class, and the tool in my hand forever changed. It never crossed my mind I could make a living taking photos, so the camera simply became my companion while I spent all of my college years and well into my twenties waitressing, bartending, working on boats, and adventuring.
At 25, I started see opportunities for income, but struggled greatly to believe that my photos were worthy of money. Slowly, very slowly, photography work kept coming while I was working multiple other part time jobs. I lived on a sailboat for many years, documenting everything, writing stories for sailing magazines, and began to build a seasonal life where I could split my year into “photo season” and “sailing season”. Each year, I was able to make more money taking portraits until I was able to weed out the other jobs, and continue to take a slower season for living and cruising on sailboats.
Fast forward 11 years, I’ve built a beautiful life here in Traverse City, Michigan. Everything I need is here. My Family. Loyal clientele. A booming wedding industry. A second baby boy on the way. I’ve simplified my life to focus on the success of my photography business, and still have a quiet season each winter to travel with my fam. Portrait and wedding photography is really joyful work. It’s honest and true and important work. To be able to record the milestones of families, and learn from them. To be able to observe different kinds of love, love stories, relationships and family dynamics still gives me a lot of energy over 10 years in.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
So much of my path has been free flowing and organic, particularly before becoming a mother. I have always approached life with flexibility and adaptability, and because of all the offshore and ocean sailing, it’s allowed me to be comfortable take risks. However, nearly 5 years into motherhood, I have had to place a lot more boundaries into the way that I approach my work, and the way that I operate everything on the backend. It completely changed the way I thought about my time and the value of it. Financially, there were so many more consequences to “getting or not getting” the job, making x amount of dollars to pay the bills. It forced me to create and analyze my budget, and it forced my to learn how to work smarter not harder. I still have a long way to go. Entrepreneurial ship in a job that you love is very challenging. It’s easy for my to bring my best self to my client, it’s not so easy to bring my best self home to my kid and my partner. I’ve had to make a lot of changes, and still am.
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?
I photograph people ! I am a lover of a good conversation, and am naturally curious about human behavior and relationship dynamics. I find studying people fascinating and I learned that I could make a living out of studying people with a camera in my hand. Getting to know someone new, and gaining trust of a stranger gives me a lot of energy. In addition to family portraiture and weddings, I offer “BodyBrave” sessions. It is the work I love the most and am most proud of. Think naked, in the woods and in the lake. Free. Fun. Bold. Take the sex out of it, because my approach has nothing to do with sex and everything to do with letting your hair down and telling the oh-so-complicated-love-story we have with our bodies.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
There are a lot of us here in Northern Michigan. A lot of talent, and a lot of wonderful creatives who are great at connecting with people on a personal level. In 10 years, I’ll be 46. I predict that I will slowly be weeded out by talentet young blood in a more saturated market. But I also predict my work will take a few big turns by then, I’m just not sure in what direction yet.
Pricing:
- $625 newborn session
- $675 family session
- $750 bodybrave
- $5000-$8000 wedding
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jzevalkink.com
- Instagram: @jzevalkink
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jzevalkinkphoto
