Today we’d like to introduce you to Judy Francis.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Judy. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I discovered my passion for photography while chronicling the death of my beloved 16-year-old shepherd dog, Norman. The images that I captured were so raw and full of emotion that it helped me heal the pain of losing a loved one that has been with me since I was in college.
I thought that I wanted to be a war journalist, but that dream was quickly squashed when my husband would not let me hop on a plane to Somalia, so I decided to turn my focus into portrait photography. I learned 90% of my camera skills from online YouTube tutorials, books and just good old-fashioned trial and error. I know what looks good to me, and what inspires me, so I tend to emulate that.
Has it been a smooth road?
No road is ever smooth for too long. I struggle with inspiration, competition, self-worth and attracting clients that will pay my prices. It’s so common these days for a person with a fancy camera to call themselves a “photographer” when they all they really do it point and shoot. The pictures that I see on social media makes me cringe inside, you know the ones… supersaturated, overexposed, WHITE, WHITE, WHITE…those pictures that every blogger use… they are just artistically awful and boring. It’s also challenging when you have to educate clients on why I only sell prints and not digital images. There’s a kind of sticker shock when they are so used to photographers that will give them 50-100 digital images for $200-300. I’m a fine art photographer, so I usually start with 1 image that takes 48-72 hours to produce and my prices are significantly different.
If you look at Rembrandt or DiVinci’s paintings there are shadows, and layers upon layers of colors – that pulls you in, that seduces you, that transcends time. Those are the pictures that I try to focus my art on. I’m trying to break a horrible trend and bring it back to the arts.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I’m a fine art portrait photographer. I specialize in creating beautiful and unique images that transcend trends and time. I’m most proud of winning multiple international awards and being published in major syndicated magazines. I’ve only been creating for about 2 years now, so my learning curve has been steep. What sets me apart? I create art out of my clients. It can be as intimate as they want or it can be something where I can hang in an art gallery in SOHO and be purchased by some random stranger.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I LOVE Houston! It’s my home, and yes I believe it’s a great place to start a business like mine if you are willing to work hard and EDUCATE clients on the process.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jifrancis.com
- Email: jifrancisphotography@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/judyifrancis
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/judyifrancisphotography
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