Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Sornson
Hi Jessica, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I am an artist, yogi and eternal optimist. My vision is to create images that showcase the strength of my clients’ vulnerability and the beauty and power in your journey.
I am from Houston originally, but received my degree in photography at Savannah Colledge of Art and Design in Savannah, GA- where I lived and worked as an artist for nearly 10 years. After college, a few heartbreaks, and some serious burnout, my journey took me through Costa Rica, Hawaii and India before finding my way back to Texas to be near family and put down some roots. In 2015, I was present for the birth of a dear friend’s first child and it blew me away! Getting to witness and support a woman through a whole “hero’s journey” in one night was so powerful; the fear and doubt and excitement and support and relief and joy… Birth photography was not as big then as it is now but 8 years later I set out to build a business around the passion I have for this work. I have attended and captured many births in the Houston area since, and would be honored to do the same for yours. My passion is birth photography… though I also love to do family, maternity and portrait sessions with people who are willing to let me try to take pictures that show some of their candid/raw/genuine selves. I love people- in all our complexities, layers, waves of emotion and not-so-linear growth. I am fascinated by our joy, and pain, and doubt, and hope. My job as a photographer is to be PRESENT with people- seeing their sweetness when they feel awkward, believing in them when they doubt their strength or intuition, and capturing the primal and essential beauty in their faces, bodies, relationships and experiences.
I have not given birth yet, but I have been through many quite painful transitions/transformations. I cannot pay those back who have cared enough to support me through my challenges and reminded me of my beauty along the way… but I can pay it forward by supporting and reminding others of theirs.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Some parts of the road have been smooth and everything seemed to fall together effortlessly. Others have been less so… My life in Savannah seemed to fall apart when, after being there and loving it for almost ten years, I experienced some serious burn out. At the same time, many of my friends were moving away and the community of artists we had created was dissolving. Hawaii was obviously BEAUTIFUL and getting to do things like practice the permaculture design I’d learned in Costa Rica on different farms, meeting other creative and adventurous people, and waking up early before my shift to swim with dolphins was magical. But it was also really isolating being so far from my friends and family and not having a consistent home base. Then, when I moved back to Houston, I had no friends or spiritual community and struggled to make them as an adult- not in school or working in a social setting. I felt very alone for three years and struggled with depression and numbing until I got involved in the recovery community in Houston. That was a huge turning point and the beginning of much healing and growth. It has not been a straight shot, there have been ups and downs since- but I have a lot of support now and am really excited and grateful to be at the part of my journey I am.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in being PRESENT with people- I am a certified yoga teacher and have done MUCH spiritual and emotional work. I am proud of the love and energy I bring into the birth space and the way I honor people’s experiences- seeing their sweetness when they feel awkward, believing in them when they doubt their strength or intuition, and capturing the primal and essential beauty in their faces, bodies, relationships and experiences.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I guess it depends on what kind of risks we are talking about. I think there are careless risks; adrenaline inducing, instant gratification seeking, escapist risks, which I was definitely known to take when I was younger. And then there is the type of risk that I am drawn to now, which revolve around the willingness to try to stay aligned with my intuition- the guiding force within- whatever the cost, and try to let go of all of my plans and the illusion of control, over and over again. This is to risk slowing down, ceasing all the “doing” and “achieving” I have derived worth from for much of my life, and to act on what feels right or called for in the moment- without knowing where it will lead or how anything will turn out. Trying to trust myself above any cultural norm or outside consensus is scary and has been the challenge of a lifetime, but we are taking “risks” every day! If we don’t do the things we really want to do now, we risk never getting to do them. If we are really frugal and save all our money, we risk the possibility that we won’t be around to spend it. If we commit to one thing, we risk missing out on others. Life is risk, I just try to make sure they are aligned with my deepest truth and values.
Pricing:
- See website for pricing and details.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jessicasornson.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicasornsonphotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessicasornsonphotography/
Image Credits
Rights to all photos belong to Jessica Sornson Photography
