Check Out Patricia DeJaynes’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Patricia DeJaynes.

Hi Patricia, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I picked up a camera when I was 13 and haven’t ever really put it down. I opened my business about ten years ago. We started taking youth sports pictures. It was a lot of little kids’ soccer team pictures. Getting a group of 4-year-olds to face front and smile without wondering off was like herding cats. After three years of that I spent several years trying to find my niche. I did everything from senior pictures to family pictures to newborns. When Covid hit, my husband sat me down and asked what I really wanted to do. I had the time to really delve into a certain type, do my research, take some extra classes and webinars, and learn in depth on a particular type. When I really thought about what my dream business looked like, I decided to settle on wedding photography. I had done several weddings at that point and loved them. They are fast paced, you interact with so many different people in a short span of time, and the mood at a wedding is always so uplifting. There is always the stress, but underneath there is the beginning of two people starting their lives together. I love a good love story. And each wedding has a new love story. You get to find out how they met, and what their hopes and dreams are for the future. You get to be the person to help calm the frantic moments and bring the situation into perspective. My great dane ate my wedding cake. At the end of the day, I was still married and got to start my happily ever after. I love capturing the little moments the bride doesn’t get to experience. The things that happen that she doesn’t see or is too busy to enjoy at the time. I love immortalizing the shenanigans the groom and his friends get into that the bride will never witness without pictures and that they both can pull out and relive 50 years down the road. For me, a wedding is about the memories. And we strive to capture each memory. It is why I love the business. You get to give something to someone that they can’t get back. It has a lasting meaning to the client and gives my art purpose.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I hit many struggles along the way. The biggest was learning how to give myself grace after an event. Weddings are such a high stress and fast paced event that has a limited number of items that are possible to achieve. When I had to pass one up to achieve another, I took it personally at the beginning and almost gave up. I thought I was not giving the clients what they needed. But as I did more events, I learned that everything in a day may not look like you envision it the night before and that is OK as a photographer. There is a list I get from clients ranking items from most important to least important. If we run out of time for those things at the bottom of the list, or the clients are just done with the pictures and want to move on even though we haven’t finished, I now am OK with it. I am confident my clients get what they expect, and I am delivering above the average package for the price range that I fall in. I am happy and the client is happy and that is what is important at the end of the day. I also struggled to find who my ideal client would be. I think that is something that every business owner struggles with. Finding their target market. It took me longer than I was expecting. I started trying to make everyone happy and realized that some people are a better fit with other photographers. I now have a list I can refer them to if I think a different type of photographer or editing style would fit their vision better.

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?
We focus on capturing moments. We want all the memories immortalized. And part of making the memories is making sure everything runs smoothly. I am the buttoner of dress buttons and the threader of corset tops. I am the tyer of ties and the pinner of boutonnieres. I move tables and I run down wayward fathers. I set alarms and herd people into their spots, so the wedding starts on time. There is so much to do at a wedding. We help where we can so out memories we catch are happy ones. I think the thing that sets us apart is our attention to the details. The little things that make a bride and groom a little more comfortable on their wedding day. I have seen horror stories of wedding photographers. And this is one thing that you have to get right the first time. There are no do overs. My sister had a wretched experience and that pushed me into wedding photography to start with. I wanted to be a light in someone’s life, not a storm cloud. And I do this for the love of doing it. I charge enough for my time, but I try to keep my prices reasonable. I am not trying to get rich on my craft. I do this for fun away from my nine to five job. I want to give people quality service at a reasonable price. I do this for the love of doing it. When you do something for love rather than the paycheck, I think your priorities shift and what you do in the day transforms from a job to an experience. I have fun. I laugh. I leave learning something that I didn’t know before I started. I think my passion shines through in not only my art, but in the way I interact with my clients and the final product.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
There are several great groups on Facebook that focus on promoting local business and securing meet=ups. Communities also have groups depending on where you live that support local business. I’m a photographer. There are photo walks, stylized shoots, and model calls to network with others in the business as well as the people you meet at trade shows. If you are wanting to learn about a certain business, find someone you admire and call and ask to shadow them. In our business, not to take pictures, but to watch and learn. Most people will let you tag along, and photographers can generally use a hand holding light stands and reflectors. They can talk to you after about what they did. Most will be flattered. And YouTube is a wealth of knowledge that you just have to tap.

Pricing:

• $1800 2 photographer 10 hrs
• $1600 2 Photographers 8 hrs
• $1400 2 Photographers 6 hrs
• All have engagements, online shareable gallery, and print release

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.dejaynesphotography.com
• Instagram: https://dejaynesphotography.com/