San Diego-based Jess Living focuses on capturing raw emotion, true interactions, and memories to last a lifetime. Believing that photography is both an art and an experience, her goal is to make her couples wedding day as valuable as the memories captured. Jess Living strives to photograph each moment in a natural, emotive and nostalgic style.
Where are you based?
San Diego, California.
Do you travel for weddings?
Yes!
How would you describe your style?
1. Authentic un-interrupted moments are the bread and butter of a wedding day, a personal favorite.
2. I may give you some direction and actions to do to initiate interaction and moments of transparency and emotion.
3. I love a good intentional pose. For this I usually go according to my clients vibe, mood, style and preference.
I would describe my work as natural, filmy, emotive, and nostalgic. I would also add that my images have a storytelling theme to them, as that is the theme of the images that I think do the best job at making couples relive memories and emotions through their photos.
What inspires you?
I’m inspired by nature more than anything. Light and colors are what motivate my style and theory on photography. Human connection is beautiful and changes from second to second - it’s an honor to witness and capture it every day.
What motivates you to do what you do?
I’m most motivated in a new location and situation. I find myself the most excited when I get to shoot something for the first time, figure out how I’m going to make a piece of art out of a scene, and how to use light and color to my advantage. It’s a thrill! I love that in my job, every day is totally different.
How would you describe your working style?
I enjoy becoming friends with my clients and am always honored to get to spend the day with them on one of the most important days of their lives. I feel that a client connection is what makes my images look like they do, and is key to both good images and a good client experience. The closer I am with my couples, the more I am able to perceive their needs and vibes as they change throughout the day or shoot, and tailor my photography to the moment and mood. I help my clients pose as much as they want me to at that moment. I think that in comparing posed to unposed moments, I tend to gravitate towards the unposed, as I don’t want to be the only person that my clients remember spending time with on their wedding day.
Do you shoot digitally, on film or both?
I shoot all wedding images using both digital and film formats.
Do you have custom packages according to individual needs?
Yes, each of my clients books a package that is tailored to their specific coverage needs.
What is a favourite product or service that you offer and why?
I offer Weekend Wedding coverage, which is essentially an undefined amount of hours of shooting within a 48-hour window. It was created with destination weddings in mind, but isn’t limited to them. This package is for a couple who is interested in giving their wedding guests a full weekend experience and who are hosting events the day before or after the wedding day - and wants their photo gallery to match that. Through this package, I’ve had such amazing wedding experiences.
First, I get more time with my couple and their loved ones and find myself making deeper connections with everyone present. A connection between subject and photographer always results in a more emotive image. Secondly, due to the casual nature of the time spent shooting, I find myself spending full days at these weddings, giving their schedule more room and me less pressure to be constantly shooting. I’m able to step back, experience the event, and look for beautiful moments and interactions to capture - rather than quickly rushing through a shot list to keep a tight schedule on time. The photos are naturally more artistic and true to the moment. I have to add, this takes a lot of stress off of my couples! It’s a really great experience all around.
Where would you love to travel to for work?
Currently on my bucket list are Italy, Guatemala, Costa Rica, the Virgin Islands, and South Africa.
Who is your dream client?
My favorite clients are the ones who truly love my images. If they love my work, I know they will love their photos, and it takes off a load of stress from both me and them.
