Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenny Simmons.
Hi Jenny, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I was living in NYC in my 20s and was taking photography classes at the School of Visual Arts. I absolutely fell in love with all things photography. I met a wedding photographer who needed an assistant and did that for a year. I quickly realized I hated weddings. I posted locally saying I was a photography student looking for experience in portrait photography and wanted models.
The first person to respond was a pregnant mama from Austin, TX living in NYC with her husband. They were the sweetest couple and we had the most magical maternity shoot together in Central Park. When their son was born, I did his newborn photos and I instantly knew this was what I wanted to do as a career.
I did family photography for 2 years part-time in NYC. In 2011 my nephew was born in Houston, which is where I’m originally from and where my family all lives. I was coming back every 6 weeks to capture photos of him and of the babies of my sister’s new mom’s friends. 6 months later I decided to move back home to Houston and do photography full-time. This was 11 years ago and I haven’t looked back since.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’ve been very lucky to have incredible clients who have referred me to their friends and family, so I’ve done little to no marketing and have had a wonderful stream of clients. Until recently. In the past couple of years, I decided to shift my focus to newborn photography and it was basically like starting a new business.
Because the need for newborn photography only happens once for each child, the demand is lower compared to family photography, which often people do once a year. I’ve had to work hard on building up the SEO on my website, blog, and post on social media… all normal business tasks, but something I really didn’t have to do until recently. It’s been fun learning a new side of the business, but also very challenging.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in newborn and baby photography. I love how sweet and tiny these little babies are when they are born and I love watching them grow and change in the first year. I’m most proud of the relationships I have built with clients over the years. It’s been so rewarding to see families grow and capture memories for them along the way. I’m known for my personable nature. I can’t help but want to be friends with all of my clients!
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I listen to and watch a lot of industry-specific podcasts and videos on a regular basis to keep my skills and knowledge current and up with the trends.
Podcasts:
Meredith’s Husband Podcast: SEO for Photographers
Ana Brandt Podcasts: A Podcast for Newborn Photographer
Beyond Natural Light Podcast
I’ve also done a long list of workshops, both in-person and online:
* Pinkle Toes Photography – in-person workshop
* Ana Brandt Newborn Photography – in-person workshop
* Noelle Mirabella Photography – in-person workshop
* Ana Brandt’s online courses
* Kelly Brown’s online courses
* Countless courses on creativelive.com
….more youtube tutorials than I can even count
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.littlebranchphotography.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlebranchphotographyhouston/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LittleBranchPhoto
