Meet Jennie Peak | Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jennie Peak and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jennie, can you share the most important lesson you’ve learned over the course of your career?

That the overall experience is key. You can have a great product/end result but if the overall experience isn’t a good one, what will make your clients come back? Communication, customer service, and the end result all tie into one experience from start to finish. Many of us have ordered something, or had a service where we scheduled and then just showed up to pick up/complete the service we signed up for, and leave then forget all about it. Nothing about that experience stood out! I don’t want my clients to feel like that.

I have learned that communication whether good or bad and being up front goes a long way! Sending updates and sneak peeks during my editing process my clients really appreciate. Before a session, I make sure to send a questionnaire so I am prepared for anything I may need to know before hand, and I like to touch base and ask if there is any outfit help my client needs. They don’t always need help but, interacting with my client as if they are my close friend versus just a business client really makes a huge difference.

During a session, I make sure to engage everyone and make it a fun and stress-free experience. Photos are pretty stressful for a lot of people and making sure that everyone has fun during the session stands out. I want my clients to leave the session and think, “I had a great time”, and I want kids to tell their parent’s that they want to come back and see me again soon!

After the session, although I have completed what I was hired for, communication is once again key. Thanking the client for choosing me, sending sneak peaks directly to them, showing them off on my website/social media (if they are ok with that) continues to show that they are valued! Once I deliver the final image gallery to my clients, I close the current client experience that I was hired for but also, I have hopes that it was memorable and enjoyable enough that they will come back again soon!

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?

I am a Photographer based in Fort Worth, Texas. I didn’t always plan on being a photographer, I started off as a “Mamarazzi” as I call it, who was encouraged daily by my fiancé, family, and friends to take it to the next level. I started out thinking I wanted to strictly be a child/newborn photographer. As I have grown in this industry, I found that I love shooting all sorts of clients and sessions, with my heart really shifting into maternity, seniors, and kids!

Starting a photography business isn’t easy, as it is a very saturated market. During the time I started my business, we were in the heart of COVID and with no one being allowed to really go out, it was hard to market myself. What a crazy time to start a business! I invested in photography education before and after I launched my business. I have learned that I need to market myself as an overall brand versus a person.

I have learned that not everyone is going to love your work, or for that matter you, but keep showing up and BE YOURSELF. The way you market yourself and your brand, should be who YOU ARE, not what you see others doing. By doing this you attract your ideal client. Be relatable, make a great experience, deliver great work.

I have learned that boundaries are huge in any business, everyone wants to make money but, without setting boundaries and making time for life outside of business it can get overwhelming. Find what works for you and stick to it, do not be afraid to say no, it’s ok!

What I want the world to know about my story….
I am a preemie mama, I missed out on maternity and newborn photos due to pregnancy complications. Although my daughter and I are both alive and thriving, it really hurt my heart that I didn’t get to document the two big life events. I think that is why I am so drawn to maternity and babies/kids. I want Mama’s to be able to document the time as life fly’s by so fast and kids change so much in a year it blows my mind!  I want families to take photos, at least once a year, whether it’s with me or someone else. Freezing moments in time to look back on and relive those moments is truly amazing. Photos are something that stick around when we are gone and will be passed down for generations.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

I would suggest going to dinner at the Reata in downtown Fort Worth for sure! This is one of my favorite dinner spots! Brunch in the DFW area is amazing, and well, I LOVE all things brunch. The biscuit bar in the stockyards is really good! Chef Point has a really cool story (Watauga) and getting the big bloody Mary is a must! I get it as a screwdriver, for those that dont like bloody Mary’s. If they are sports lovers, I would try and go to a Cowboys game or Texas Rangers game if they were in season. I also recommend, to hit up different shopping areas in Southlake, Highland Village, and maybe a trip out to the Galleria!

If they have kids, the Fort Worth Zoo and Dallas Aquariums are a MUST!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

My fiancé, Shaun, it’s the reason I am where I am today with my Photography business. He bought me my first camera, encouraged me to take my hobby to a different level. My family also deserves a shoutout, whether it’s being models, promoting or stepping in to watch my kids so I can go do a session, they do it without skipping a beat!

As far as key players in my industry, I joined a photo academy by Brittany Bruce. I learned SO much from her courses, but even more from the community of photographers that were along the same journey as me. There are a couple ladies I have met from this group who I talk to daily, and they are my biggest cheerleaders and consider them by business besties!

Ashley Ammons has been AMAZING! She constantly shows up in her education group, has numerous courses that have really helped me learn that family side of photography. I attended a workshop in Salt Lake City this past weekend with her and Lauren Haddow, and they were great!  It was so much fun learning from them and I am excited to start implementing all the new knowledge from the weekend in my business!

Website: https://jenniepeak.mypixieset.com/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/jenniepeakphoto

Facebook: www.facebook.com/jenniepeakphoto

Image Credits
Headshot of me: April Tungate-Porter