Episode 29
Jessica Robertson – A Photographer Podcast Interview
Matt interviews Jessica Robertson while at SYNC 2019. Her first career was a high school teacher, which is something Matt and Jessica have in common. They both loved working with that age group and still do. And they both love teaching (and learning), which is why they love to share what they know with the industry. Storytelling and collaborating with clients is what is working for Jessica. Listen in to find out more about how she does that. And don’t miss what she’s excited about in the industry now. You’ll also want to hear how Jessica overcame her fears when she first started… and how she stays in business now. Jessica’s advice on what to spend money on is based on where you are in your career, which is great. The best advice she ever received she uses on a daily basis and you’ll want to too.
Book:
Rachel Martin: What to Say
Online Resources:
http://www.jessicarobertson.com/
http://www.jessicarobertson.com/for-photographers
https://www.facebook.com/groups/630336874012039/ – Shoot it Straight with Jessica Roberton
Transcription was done by Temi.com which means it’s an AI generated transcript. The transcript may contain spelling, grammar and other errors, and is not a substitute for watching the video.
[00:01] Hi, this is Jessica Robertson and you’re listening to from nothing to profit.
[00:05] Welcome to from nothing to profit a photographer’s podcast with Matt and Kaia where each week they talk to photographers about what is working in their business now so you can swipe those ideas and grow your business faster.
[00:21] Hey everybody. So Matt here and I’m going to, I’m recording another podcast from sync without Kaia. Maybe next year we can all convince Kaia to come back here. She comes every year, which didn’t come this year. And so go ahead and just send her an email and let her know she has to come next year. Anyways, I’m, my guest today is Jessica Robinson, so I don’t know much about you because we don’t run in the same, I know we don’t, we don’t, we don’t, we don’t run in those same circles. We should. We should. We will. We will from now. But I just saw Jessica speak at sink and I was blown away by what you guys are doing. So I don’t want to steal your flame cause you already liked did your speech and so you can just tell everybody those slides again if you want. But I’m going to do it from start to beginning. Sure. Um, so tell, tell us real quick about your studio, what you guys are doing and all that stuff.
[01:09] Sure. So our studio was in Ashland, Virginia, just outside of Richmond. We photograph about 200 seniors a year in addition to some families and babies and some corporate work that we do. I started out of my home originally or I started on location really and then to my home. And then we opened our retail space in 2005. Um, our first studio was about 1500 square feet and we lived across the street because the street that you want to be on in our small town. And um, now we have a 3000 square foot studio and that’s been since 2011. I have a fabulous team that works with me. I’m very fortunate to have, um, Karen and Robin support me and help me so that I’m able to really do the thing that I love, which is photography. Yeah.
[01:46] Yeah. And then they’re here this week at sync with you as well. They’re really awesome people. So you are, let me just tell you, you are lucky.
[01:52] Oh, I’m so fortunate. I’m so incredibly wishing. Just have this whole podcast and just talk about them as what we should really, really, I mean it’s not really mean, let’s be honest. I just do what I’m told. I, I say that all the time and it’s DDN again, so you can you tell me this, I’m like, ah, I don’t really know. Ask Karen and Robin. I just do what I’m told to do and sometimes that’s way better. That’s what I’m saying is absolutely.
[02:11] Um, so what, what’s one thing that people wouldn’t know know about you, you know, as just like looking at your website and stuff like that? Like what, you know, is there anything, what’s
[02:21] I tell everybody everything about me now. Well, I think one that I started as a, as a teacher. And so I think that that makes me come from a different place. Um, I saw I had taught high school seniors and I really connect with that age. Um, I don’t know if that’s where I had to stop my mental state or something, but I do, I love working with that age bracket and I think that my history and my life previous to being a full time photographer, that really does help. It makes me understand, um, the people that I’m working with a little bit better.
[02:49] Yeah. And so I was hoping you’re gonna bring that up cause I used to be a teacher as well, so awesome. So I taught statistics at the high school,
[02:55] Gosh, five years having points and like come on into heaven were a high school teacher
[03:01] and you taught, uh, photography and biology, so that’s awesome. So when do you remember what years you taught and what years? 2000 to 2005. Okay. So I thought 2008 to 12 or something like that. Okay. That’s probably wrong too. Right? It’s so interesting because I’ve been removed from the classroom for so a little, I’m starting to actually like lose touch with our current seniors. You know, enough has changed since I left. When I first left the classroom, Alison was running the business the whole time I was teaching, but when I first lost the classroom I just felt like I had it dialed. Like I knew exactly how to talk to them and where they were and all that stuff they were into. And now I feel like I’ve lost a little bit, but I mean people are still people, so
[03:36] absolutely. Absolutely. I completely understand that. Relate-Ability um, and sometimes it makes it funny and I’ll make fun of myself in that regard. I’m like, I have no idea what you just said. Who’s, who’s the person that’s your favorite musician? Yeah. And then what, can you spell that for me? I really have no idea what you’re saying. Like genre of music are we talking about? Okay. I haven’t heard of that genre either. You know?
[03:53] No. And some of the artists now have like symbols and then it’s like, I really don’t get that when for the first rapper, that’s just all emojis. It’s coming. Hey, that’s a concept. That’s an idea. I think you should pitch that. Well, I saw on the news that that license plates are now in Florida now can have on an Emoji and then there’s like, there’s like six, I saw it when I was here. I think there’s six emojis. Like the Smiley one, the heart eyes won and you can now you can have customized plans with an Emoji at the end and then the cops like what does that symbol, how do I put that on that yet? I’m just going to pull that person ever. I don’t want to do that Emoji. Right. He’s like a w e f heart eyes. I think it’s, I think it’s a Cadillac. Right? So anyways, that’s all I, I think being a teacher also brought a lot of expertise to our business too. So do you miss teaching or not really?
[04:38] Well that’s why I came back to sync and teaching. So yeah, no, me too. I, I have to do some kind of outlet like that for sure. And I feel so fortunate because there’s been so many photographers that I am still so immensely grateful for. Um, and it is kind of a way of giving back, but it’s also, um, it makes me analyze what we’re doing so that I can give, convey that message, but then it also makes me reassess, are we doing the right thing and getting feedback from others that works for them. And so it’s, it’s, it’s kind of a full circle kind of thing as well. So, and I do believe that when you teach, you are also learning and just because someone’s a student, that doesn’t mean that they can’t teach you something. Yeah, absolutely. I really believe that. And sometimes that comes from yourself analysis, but sometimes it comes from the conversations you have with people. And so I, I love it. I do.
[05:23] Yeah. And I did some teaching here at sync this week. And like just some of the, when I was putting my presentation together I was like, I need a dial that part in my business and stuff a little bit. Like I’m like, I do that, but I know I can do that better. I don’t really know for sure. Okay. So let’s talk about the industry real quick. So the question is wash it before we’d go to the industry. There’s a question before that. So kind of the general question of our podcast is like what’s working now? So when you think of your business, like what’s working now and what would you tell our audience?
[05:50] So for me, when I thought about this question, I think that we have always centered our business and and really wanting to hear that person’s story so that we can visually create an image that matches. And I, I did
[06:06] how you need to include elements that are personal to them because that makes the portrait more important to them.
[06:11] Absolutely. And it do you see it as a collaborative effort. So then mom will go, oh well I’ve got an idea, but I don’t, I don’t, I don’t want to mess this up. And I’m absolutely not pleased. You obviously know your child better than I do. Please tell me about her. And that is a question we have on there. If your friends were to describe you, what would they say? And that’s actually really insightful. Um, so on our information sheet, when we have our consultation, that is something that I look at and I think that people are drawn to images that are a true reflection of them. They want to be special, they went to look different. They don’t want what everybody else has already had. And so if you draw out who they are, which is I think part of our job and understanding who they are, then you can create images that are reflection and they’re also unique and authentic and different.
[06:49] And you also talked to that, talked about how when they look at it in the future, they’ll look back and they have different memories than it just being the senior portrait session has some real meaning,
[06:58] experience, experiences, fun about about a time in their life and stuff like that, which I think is really important. So parents are more connected as images too because they’re like, I’ve seen my kid in that leotard on the gymnastics floor her whole entire life and I can’t believe that we now have these images to um, hold for posterity. It’s really beautiful.
[07:17] So tell us a little bit, you, you alluded this a little bit, but you kind of have a questionnaire. So how do you get this information out of them so that you can use it?
[07:25] So, um, when someone calls in and typically we try and bring people to the telephone, which just current generation is not a big fan out and they’d rather text or message. But we typically have a parent call and to us and we make a connection there. We have that relationship. We tell them it’s a no obligation consultation. Just come in, kind of see what we do and we send them an information sheet and it has a ton of questions and it’s so, it is their homework. We send them videos as well so they can get excited and start thinking about what they want. And then that way they’re not coming in completely blank. So when I say, tell me about your vision, what are you thinking you want to do for your senior portraits? It’s not a blank face. They should have thought about it. And if it is a blank face, then it might be a longer consultation
[08:03] cause, but your worksheet or whatever you wanna call your intake form or I don’t know, whatever you wanna call it, it’s open. It has open ended questions on it together. I’m thinking, yeah
[08:11] it does. Absolutely. It should trigger, oh I do want to incorporate that or I don’t want to. So if something, I mean my kids are involved in so many different things, it’s amazing how they’re volunteering involving her schools. And so when you look at those different things that are involved in that they’ve listed, it can’t just be like, ah, that’s just something I do to be a part of my school. Or is it something that’s really important to them is a driving force in their life.
[08:31] Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Okay, so that’s perfect. So what’s working now is getting that information from the including picture and I saw him from your images I saw at sync this week. Like it makes complete sense when you say thank you. Yeah. So you guys definitely look her up on Instagram and see your work. It’s amazing. Okay. So let’s switch gears real quick and talk about the industry. So the question is like what is one thing that has you fired up about in the industry that may be in a little bit over exaggeration, but when you think about the industry, what do you think it’s going or what, what do you think about when you, what were you, what do you hold true to about the industry?
[09:00] Well, technologically I think we’re continuing to see a lot of changes, you know, and for me, I’ve always used off camera flash and I do think that when we think about ways to make our, our imagery look different from others, I think that that’s a very easy way to do that. Now the evolution of that has changed significantly here in the last few years with high speed sync. And that for me is a game changer. I’m having a family wanting to be done every day, at least by five, um, and not wanting to start until eight 15. That’s kind of my schedule and I only work Monday through Friday. That is huge for me so that I can shoot it on a lower f stop and then, um, be able to crank up that shutter speed. So I think that that’s a huge game changer. But I also think that we as off camera flash shooters are kind of unique because there’s so many are just natural light. But because everything now has gotten so much cheaper and easier to use, um, I think that if people are willing to change, it may be more difficult honestly to differentiate yourself if everyone understands how to use lighting. Um, so I think that that’s really important.
[10:02] Yeah, no, that makes complete sense. So while I’ve been thinking about this a little bit too, because I feel like there’s two types of shooters and I haven’t quite identified, maybe there’s probably 1 million bucks. There’s natural light shooters and there’s a lot of like one light off camera flash shooters and I’m trying to figure out like, okay, if almost everybody is that what, what is like the third group or what is the fourth group that I can be a part of that I can push myself on? You know what I mean? Yeah. I just feel like, I’m like, okay that person, I see a group of people locally and they just carry round reflectors. And then I see, I come here and I see everybody has like a beauty, beauty, a beauty dish with like a sleeve on it. You know,
[10:37] that’s what, how you use that light I think is a way to differentiate yourself. So you know, if you’re more of a fashion kind of photographer then you’re gonna put it up high and kind of shoot it down low. Um, if you want it to be more dramatic, what you do at that light I think is as significant as using. Yeah.
[10:49] Got It. That makes something that’s fair because you probably have more versatility, more flexibility with that light versus like a reflector.
[10:55] Right? Absolutely. And I like being in control and light using an off camera flash allows me to be in more control than if a cloud comes over and I’m using a reflector like, well that,
[11:04] yeah, it doesn’t work. Right. Yeah. Right, exactly. Okay, so that’s really good. So let’s go jump into the lightening round a little bit. These, we have plenty of time, so don’t feel like we have to do these fasteners. Okay. Call the lighting round email. Maybe I’ll just change the name after your son will be the last wow. More lightening round. Just get dropped the mic on that you’ll be the last lightning round ever. Cause I don’t think it fits but, so what was holding you back from becoming a full time photographer when you first started money? So like you were worried that you were worried that like you weren’t met, you wouldn’t make money or
[11:34] there’s a lot of fear as well. So I have a degree in art with a concentration in photography. So I felt very secure in my craft. I knew that I looked young and so that was a difficult aspect from changing from I’m learning this craft and then how do I make that an actual business that can be lucrative and that can pay my bills. And there was fear as well that I didn’t understand this whole part of my career that I had no education on. And so a lot of it was intuitive in terms of this is how I would want to be treated or this makes sense. But there’s a lot of education that kind of went into that. And so I think that it was fortunate actually that I had that time to kind of figure that out. And you talked about under under your sink.
[12:14] I don’t want to keep referencing. That’s great. Everybody’s going to think it’s amazing. Yeah. Awesome. You talked about how your dad helped you a little bit. Absolutely no side of it as well. Right. And asking me those questions, like if you’re going to eat, want to get paid, like how are you going to pay yourself and how much is this going to cost? And, and he talked about a business plan, which I had absolutely no idea about. You know, and I find a really good way of saying what a business plan is to cause even to me as a business person, a business plan. Scary. Yeah. But you said it’s basically just like, uh, I don’t remember how to describe it. Like a roadmap of where you’re going or something like that is, yeah. And I think we want to start with the end and we want to figure out those steps along the way.
[12:48] And you know, even for me, I’m setting those goals and trying to figure out even now what else do I want to do? What else is more important to me? How do I shift my business with everything that is changing? So it’s a constant, constantly evolving plan. Yeah, it was seniors. It feels like it’s reinventing the business every year. And I think that that’s such a gift really. Because if we just sit back and go, oh well everybody loves me, they’re going, of course they’re going to come to me like you’re gonna be out of business quickly. And I think that that’s one thing that I’ve noticed in our industry. We have a lot of people are like, well, this is how I’ve always done it. Well then you’re definitely going to go out of business. Um, and you can’t sit back and say, this is how I’ve always done it.
[13:23] And every year, typically around this time,...
