This article originally appeared in the January 2025 edition of The Commuter.
As students of higher education, we look to the future to motivate our daily diligence of study. When we decided on our degree paths, we had to consider the work available to us after we graduate. The truth of the matter is that some careers are vague at best; shadowing a current professional is often the best way to understand the scope of career potential.
As a student who is passionate about photography and was consistently told that the market was highly saturated, I wanted to follow up with local photographers to get a true behind-the-scenes look at photography in the greater Albany/Corvallis area.
Jennifer White of Albany’s Jen White Photography extended an invitation to observe behind the scenes of a family portrait session at Talking Waters Garden in Albany.
White was more than happy to answer the questions I had about her career in photography.
“I’ve known that I loved photography for as long as I could remember,” she said. “My parents got me my first little film camera when I was in the third grade with flash cubes. For years I photographed family and friends. Some of those shoots were weddings, others were portrait sessions like the senior picture I took for my brother.”
White officially launched her photography business in 2011.
When asked what challenges she’s faced in running her photography business, White said, “It took me a lot of years of trial and error before I understood I needed to invest in business education, and that I needed to understand how to run a solid business.”
Part of being a professional photographer is the business side of things. The other side is built on creativity. When talking about her artistry and what inspires it, White mentioned Seattle photographer Elena Blair as inspiration. Blair’s work is emotive and does a fantastic job of capturing the relationships of people and families.
“I’m inspired by connection. I love seeing how families interact and I love watching the dynamics,” said White. “Outside of working with people, I love light and nature. Living in Oregon, there is always something beautiful to photograph.”
“One of my favorite pictures I’ve ever taken is of my now 11-year-old when he was three,” she added. “He was just sitting in the family room playing with one of his favorite toys while the light came in from the sliding glass door and highlighted him more than anything in the rest of the room. It brings me back to that moment in time. It helps me remember what it was like when he was a little boy. And that’s what I want to create for my clients: A snapshot in time to help them remember that connection and that time of life with their family.”
White continued about what success meant to her in both business and in photography.
“Growth and success in photography looks different to me than growth and success in my photography business. … In photography, I’m always learning. I’m always taking classes. And I’m always trying to improve my art. I also try to challenge myself with new projects, whether that be something that doesn’t have a human subject or a new location to shoot a family session, etcetera,” she said.
“In my business, growth and success looks like charging enough to have a sustainable income for my family. It looks like good customer service and fostering good client relationships. It’s running a real business rather than a hobby, which is what I did for a long time, even after I had a business license.”
When White needs to take her portraits inside during poor weather conditions, she has worked with Corvallis-based Studio Kalos. Studio Kalos is owned and operated by a local photographer named Irecia, known on Instagram as Photographs by Reesh.
Studio Kalos opened to the public on March 1, 2024. A month prior to opening, the space was redone with fresh paint, furnishings, and all new floors. The idea was to provide a space full of character and warmth. The space was designed to challenge the standard of white-walled, barren studios of a bygone era.
Running the studio isn’t without its challenges. After a complaint from an individual in the community, Studio Kalos underwent a name change. This caused confusion for local photographers who thought the studio might’ve gone out of business.
In November, Reesh said the current goal for the studio was that it would pay for itself and provide a space for creativity, hosting events, and education for photographers in the community – hobbyists and professionals alike.
However, in late December she announced that the studio would be changing hands. Reesh said the owners of the building made an agreement with her to take over the space and maintain it as a studio. The changes in store for the studio under new management is not yet known, but the space will remain available for use through a different owner.
“Since opening, we have been paying for the studio out of pocket,” she wrote on Facebook. “I do think that when we had to change our name, it had a huge impact on our success with getting bookings because people thought we closed down, but either way, it’s just come to a point that we can’t continue on and we are ready to work towards new things in life!”
Reesh added, “We are so thankful for everyone who has supported our little studio … Moving forward, January is expected to be our last month at the studio!”
Reesh having to shut down her passion project of Studio Kalos underlines the difficulties of running the business side of an artistic endeavor. or.
Reesh sat with me to answer questions I had on her experience as a photographer and as someone who is creating a space for others to practice and share their creative works.
“I’ve been building on my passion for photography for 13 years now,” she said. “I registered as a business in 2019 and have been doing photography full time for over two years now. It’s how I provide for my family as a mom and a wife.”
As with any occupation, it’s not uncommon to face any number of challenges as a professional photographer. It’s important to seek out a professional’s perspective on the personal challenges they face.
“I had to learn how to overcome social awkwardness,” said Reesh. “I had to learn how to be intentional about who I have in my circle. I learned that support was essential as being a photographer can be an extremely taxing job. I had to learn how to budget my finances and I had to learn how to find my voice in my art. These are the challenges I had to learn from.”
Photography, by nature, is a very creative line of work. A photographer must balance their art with the expectations of their clients. Many clients come to a photographer with a vague understanding or description of what they want in telling their personal story. Photographers often provide guidance and perspective that the client might be completely unaware of.
“I always prioritize my clients – it is part of my job to help them develop their inspiration,” said Reesh. “I help guide my clients to explore their own creativity as it is a collaboration between us that develops the final representation of their story.”
Reesh mentioned where she draws inspiration for her work: “Movies, romance novels, textures, makeup, decor, antiques, clothing, colors, and my favorite — light! Light inspires me more than anything with photographs. I love working with unique lighting situations. I actually hate even lighting.”
A question I made sure to ask was the one question that students seek answers to when choosing a path for their education and future career: How competitive or highly saturated is this line of work?
“We live in the Pacific Northwest, so absolutely, photography is oversaturated – but it’s for a good reason because it’s such a beautiful place!” said Reesh. “Why wouldn’t people want to be a photographer here? I know that a lot of people see it as a competition, but I don’t. We all have our own unique styles, areas of expertise, boundaries, client experience efforts, quality, years of experience, etcetera. There’s a unique/specific/dream client out there for all of us and more than enough to go around. My ideal client is different from the next photographer’s ideal client.”
Photograph of siblings, taken at Talking Waters Garden, Albany. Family photos have become a yearly endeavor with photographer Jennifer White and this family. This photo was a candid moment between attempts to recreate a photo taken a year prior, where the sisters gave their brother a kiss. Laughter ensues as siblings navigate the awkward moment of recreation.
Photo credit: Brittany King
As each photographer has their ideal client, each photographer will have their own perspective on photography as a career. When it comes time to make that choice of career pursuits and passions, here are a few things to keep in mind as mentioned by Reesh:
First, shoot all the time. Get yourself a camera and shoot in manual. Learn how to shoot lights using Kelvin readings.
Second, don’t charge for your work until after you’ve registered your business and have contracts to cover yourself and your clients.
Third, invest time and money into your education and in mentorships with a photographer or photographers you trust, working with people whose work inspires you.
Lastly, find your creative voice.
As a community, there is a lot that we can learn from each other. Through collaboration there is still a lot to be learned about what the photography community is like behind the scenes in Albany and in Corvallis.
Links
Jennifer White:
Photographs by Reesh:
