We have taken a few weeks break from our Monday Meetings and wanted to come back with a BANG! Today I am going to introduce you to Ashley and Jen, the masterminds behind
Jarnett Photography. I wanted to give you a little back story into my history with these ladies (Ashley in particular) in hopes it gives you some more insight into why I love these girls personally and professionally. Prior to planning fabulous events full time for Antonia Christianson Events I had a corporate job in marketing for a regional wireless phone provider where I planned and implemented corporate events, merchandised a region worth of retail stores (21 to be exact) and worked on media and sponsorships to help secure the name of this provider in Hampton Roads and throughout this region (including 5 states). Actually, not much different from what I do now...anyways, I love Ashley Barnett because when I left corporate america Ashley filled my shoes. She rocked the position obviously and we got to know each other through other ventures we do with Komen for the Cure (a non profit we both know and love). Soon after Ashley took over for me I heard she was a photographer: NO really, a good one. And I have to say, I was impressed from day one with what I saw. Now, since then (it's been a few years) her passion, her style and her drive have changed/grown and become more obvious to the wedding world. She has left corporate america and together with her business partner Jen they are rocking their brand one wedding at a time. Below is a question and answer with these two awesome ladies and of course, a few of their favorite images. As always! Let us know what you think.
How did you get your start in photography?
I (Ashley) got my start in photography taking film classes in high school and fell in love with black and white images. I always swore up and down I would NEVER want to photograph weddings, but when my god-sister asked me to photograph her wedding in 2007, I realized how much I actually loved being a part of someone’s wedding day… the happiness of a wedding day is infectious and not many people get to say their day job is the happiest day of people’s lives!! From there it began and has continued to be solely word of mouth referrals from past clients which we love!
Jen began taking an interest in photography through her connection to the automotive industry, and began learning photography techniques by practicing on friend’s cars and her own. She went to a friend’s wedding one day and was completely fascinated by the photographers and began thinking she might want to transition into weddings. It wasn’t long after that she asked Ashley if she could second shoot at one of her first weddings and the rest is history! We realized how perfectly we worked together right from the start and Jarnett Photography was born!
What is your favorite moment to capture at a wedding?
Our favorite moment to capture at a wedding… okay we are cheating and saying two! : ) One, if our couples choose to do a First Look (where the bride and groom see each other before the ceremony), it is by far our favorite part of the day. The emotion and excitement of the day are just spilling over at that point and we love seeing the look on the groom’s face when he sees his beautiful bride for the first time. Our second favorite moment is one that isn’t necessarily categorized: it’s the small, in between moments of the day where we catch the bride and groom smiling each other, or reaching for each other’s hands. We love when we hear from couples “I didn’t even know you TOOK that!”
How would you classify your style of photography?
Our style of photography is inspired, modern, fresh and timeless. We want our clients to be able to look at their images in 15 years and still love them as much as they do today. However, we recognize and understand that our clients have put a lot of thought and detail into making their wedding unique and fun and we want to make sure their images reflect who they are as individuals as well as a couple!
What words of advice do you have for couples seeking the right wedding photographer?
The biggest piece of advice we can give couples looking for their wedding photographer is take the time to meet with them before booking and make sure you not only like their style of photography but them as people as well! Your photographers will be with you non-stop on your wedding day, and knowing you can joke, laugh and 100% trust your photographers will make your entire day feel less stressed, and of course make for better photos! This is why we blog a lot of personal stories as well as our photos- we want clients to come to our blog and site and feel like they know us before they even contact us! It truly helps them decide right off the bat if we are a good match for them and their wedding!
Below is a picture of the always fun and always fabulous
Jen (left) and
Ashley (right). Keep updated with their latest and greatest events by visiting their
blog or respective facebook pages.
Ashley and
Jen.
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