Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennie Steinacher.
Hi Jennie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
I photographed my first wedding five years ago at the age of 16. I was shaky, quiet, and had no idea what I was getting myself into. 100+ weddings later (I stopped counting honestly), I am completely hooked. To me, there is no greater honor or responsibility than to be trusted to record moments that cannot be replicated. I go above and beyond for my couples. Whether that’s making timelines, sending vendor recommendations, or being the bad guy to their nosey great-aunt: I am trusted with so much and I will never take that for granted.
I am now a full-time wedding, boudoir, and business photographer traveling all around Kansas and beyond. I pride myself on providing a fun and stress-free photo experience that gifts confidence to every type of client. Whether that’s peace of mind that your wedding is being fully captured and your images are safe, to body-confidence, to a new level of pride for a business that you’ve built: Hiring a professional that makes the experience as stress-free as possible is truly worth every penny.
I am so thankful for the clients that have trusted me since the very beginning, friends, and family who encourage me through periods of self-doubt, and the couples that continue to trust me to capture one of the greatest days of their lives. This job is a privilege.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Success looks different for everyone. And until you define what success looks like for you and your life you will always be striving for something unattainable.
There have been days where I felt like I had made every mistake in the book. I have had clients try to avoid payments and contracts. I’ve had cameras, computers, seemingly every piece of equipment fail at some point. But all these struggles and failures have taught me to be prepared for the worst. Every client signs a contract (even family). Every piece of tech has a backup ready to go, and my skin is thicker than ever.
Despite all those struggles throughout the years, the greatest was finding balance.
Running your own business has its perks, but there is a huge learning curve when the concept of “clocking-off” is not wired into your workday. This is my greatest struggle and this is where I have found success. For me, the whole point of working for myself is not to make more money than I could in a typical 9 to 5, but to give myself freedom. Sometimes freedom means the ability to take on 6 weddings in a month, and sometimes it means 1 wedding in a month. I’ve learned to say “no” in order to give myself the freedom to rest and enjoy what success means for me in this stage of my life.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a professional wedding, portrait, and business photographer. I am so proud of the relationships I build with each client. Because they know me, they know they can fully trust me to deliver something even better than what they’re envisioning.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was such an extrovert growing up. I participated in every sport I could and had circles of friends in every social situation I found myself in. I said “yes” to everything. When I first picked up a “real” camera at age 13 or so, I added taking photos of friends to my long list of hobbies and interests. I was homeschooled all the way through high school which provided so many opportunities for me. At age 15 I started taking college courses and graduated with my bachelor’s degree from Wichita State at age 20. I was such a try-hard all the way through; The student who sits in the front row, actually, studies, turned in every assignment, etc. I was not a 4.0 student, and I didn’t really care about that either. Somewhere along the line, I developed a work ethic that does not allow me to take anything lightly. Once I learned how to narrow down my interests and focus my energy on what matters most, that work ethic paid off!
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: jenniemarie-photo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniemariephoto/, https://www.instagram.com/jenniemarieboudoir/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenniemariephoto
