Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Banegas.
Hi Jennifer, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hello, I’m Jenny, a full-time photographer based in Houston, Texas as of March 2023, prior to that, I was a high school engineering teacher, and prior to that, I was a civil engineer. I’ve had quite a unique career trajectory, but I can truly say it has been a very enjoyable one as I embrace and welcome change, especially because it keeps life interesting.
Reflecting back on my interests, I can say my love for photography began at a young age. I have been obsessed with taking photos as far back as middle school. I never got into writing in a journal, but photos have always been my favorite method of capturing memories. I’ve always been the friend with the camera documenting the fun times. In junior high, I would be the one with the disposable camera on field trips, and I was in the yearbook committee. In high school, I upgraded to a compact digital camera and entered a school photography contest on a birdwatching field trip, where I won $50. In college, I documented every year with my friends and went on a Costa Rica trip with Engineers Without Borders, where I also entered a photography competition and won a feature for the national pamphlet. Reflecting back on all these scenarios, I still wonder why it didn’t occur to me to start a photography business sooner as my passion in this industry has truly always been there. Regardless, I am extremely happy that I’ve now jumped fully into photography, and I am excited and hopeful for where it will take me.
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?
I started my photography journey without any true expectations, so fortunately it has been a relatively smooth road thus far. Photography was always an interest of mine, a passion; I never looked into it as being a career. When I left engineering to become a high school teacher, I found I had more free time, especially in the summers, to spend on my hobbies. I picked my camera up more around this time, and when the pandemic began, and there wasn’t much to do, I really started learning my settings and watching YouTube videos to learn the ins and outs about photography. I then created my Instagram photography page and began posting consistently. I started practicing on friends and eventually started getting clients. As the clients grew, I made it an official business, and it just became a nice additional source of income. In July of 2021, I moved to Houston and began meeting other photographers and building community here. Meeting so many others that were pursuing photography as their full-time job or already doing it full-time made me realize it was doable and achievable. After some steady growth in my business, I felt comfortable enough to pursue it fully. I left teaching in March 2023 and am officially a full-time photographer now.
As you know, we’re big fans of Jenny Lily Photography LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
My photography business name is Jenny Lily Photography. I currently focus on wedding photography, but I also shoot engagement, family, maternity, and lifestyle sessions as well as grad and senior portraits. Although it is highly recommend to niche down in this industry, I still enjoy the diversity of photographing different types of sessions and documenting many different milestones for people. My hope for my business is to capture photos for my clients that brings smiles for years to come. I want my clients to feel comfortable and at ease working with me, and I want them to have a fun and enjoyable experience overall.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Of course, we can’t foresee what the future holds, but I hope to still be doing photography in the next five years. Ten years is a little too far out for me to know what I will want, but for the foreseeable future, I would like to continue focusing on wedding photography and strengthening my craft, there’s always room for improvement. I love to dream big, and being that this is still a relatively new endeavor for me, I haven’t fully grasped how big my goals in this industry can be, but I’m excited to find out.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jennylilyphotography.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennylilyphotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennylilyphotography/
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/jennylilyphotography/
Image Credits
Jenny Lily Photography LLC
