Meet Jolie Jones | Photographer & Entrepreneur

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

Hi Jolie, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
When I started photography, I never believed that I would be running a successful photography business at seventeen years old. It started out as a hobby and before I knew it, I was creating invoices and contracts. When I realized that this dream could really come true, I knew that I needed to have a “why”. I prayed, asking God to show me a reason to go all in. As I continued going to sessions and giving my clients their pictures, I realized how much confidence that beautiful pictures can build. I’ve seen many faces light up when they see how good they look in their pictures. From then on out, I decided that my mission would be to make each and every client feel more confident than they felt before their session.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Something that I believe is so unique about my art is that I don’t only care about the outcome of the pictures, I care about the experience that my clients have. Obviously, I make sure that my clients get beautiful pictures but I also want them to have fun and feel confident about their shoot. I think my age sets me apart from others because I started when I was 14. It’s not every day that you see a high school kid running around taking pictures at weddings.

Getting started has not been easy by any means, I feel like I’m working all the time but I love every moment of it. My biggest challenge has been balancing school and work. I just finished my junior year and it was the hardest school year of my life. I was taking college and honors classes so the workload was a lot. But I got through it and I feel so much stronger now. I was able to get through the hardest year of my life and come out a better photographer than I was before my junior year.

I want people to know that it’s okay to ask for help. I wouldn’t be anywhere without my friends and family. I’m a pretty independent person so it’s hard for me to ask for help. But overtime, I learned that people are normally more than willing to help you. You just have to ask.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in Burleson and we have some pretty cool spots around town. Granted, it’s not as interesting as Fort Worth but if you want something I little slower paced, Burleson is perfect. For breakfast we’d definitely make a trip to Doughboy Donuts, it’s a family owned gourmet donut shop. My favorite donut of theirs is the strawberry shortcake, it is incredible. Another favorite restaurant of mine is Mojos. It’s a Tex-Mex restaurant and I love it. I’d say it’s like Chipotle, but better.

As for things to do, The Painted Tree in Mansfield is my favorite place to go waste a few hours. The Painted Tree is a great place to find gifts, a new outfit, and check out unique vendors. In Burleson, we have some super cute boutiques around town. My favorite place to shop that’s unique to Burleson is The Market Emporium. It’s a shop full of vendors with incredible prices. My love for big, fun, earrings started there.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My biggest supporters have been my parents and my boyfriend, Luke. Before I could drive, they were the ones that took me to all of my sessions. I recently hosted a styled shoot and my mom was there every step of the way. She went with me to the venue, helped set up, ran around getting behind the scenes pictures, and everything else that I wasn’t able to do while I was out shooting. I can’t tell you the amount of gas money that she has spent making sure that I can pursue this dream. My Pawpaw was another big supporter of my business. When I was 14, he let me borrow his Canon T3i but when he saw how much I loved that camera, he gave it to me. That camera got me started and I shot my first wedding on it. Unfortunately, he passed from COVID in January of 2021. There are so many times that I wish I could call him and show him the things that I’m so proud of. I hope that he can see everything that I’m doing, I want to make him proud so badly.

I am also so thankful for all of my clients. It’s hard for me to believe that so many people have trusted a teenager to capture such special moments such as their weddings, engagements, and family pictures. I can’t thank them enough for everything. My first clients are still some of my closest friends. I’ve been able to capture their family through the years as it’s grown. I actually have a session with them next week!

Website: https://joliejophotos.mypixieset.com

Instagram: @joliejophotos

Facebook: @joliejophotos