Meet Jas Kitterman

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jas Kitterman. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jas below.

Hi Jas, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.
I distinctly remember growing up and constantly being told that I was naive. I was never praised for my “street smarts,” more so reminded how lucky I was to be “book smart.” I’ve always been a naturally happy person, no matter the circumstances. And yes it has probably been the source of a few delusional moments in my life. But when I feel myself slip into the bitter depths of my thoughts, somehow I am always reminded that life feels so much better when you are glowing. It sounds cheesy af. But I can only imagine what a sad life it must be to only expect the worst. I already have enough anxiety for that.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I’ve been building Jas K Productions as a photography and video business for the last decade and it’s so exciting to know that I’ve had an impact on so many people’s lives. I’ve been lucky enough to document inspiring stories and pivotal moments, helping me foster my love for storytelling and human connection.

The most exciting feedback that I’ve received from clients is that they feel empowered, beautiful, safe, and seen post photo-shoot. To hear that people are nervous before a session isn’t news to me. A lot of clients have trauma from past experiences or simply have never truly felt themselves in front of a camera. So when clients give me feedback that they actually had fun and love so many photos of themselves, I feel like I succeeded in my art. I want people to see and feel how bright they can radiate.

I’ll be focusing more on providing a healing and inclusive photo experience for all people in the new year!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
In order to be a full time photographer and business owner, I think that you truly have to be passionate about your work. So much so that every time you pick up your camera, you are in the mindset of creating art. You have to stay curious and always be wanting to improve or you’ll quickly burn out and get stuck. Anytime that I’ve noticed a dip or plateau in my abilities or passion, I can always trace it back to getting too comfortable. Keep pushing and find the areas of your career that make you excited to wake up and work. Aside from having all the major qualities needed to succeed, you have to be willing to put in the time, even when you don’t want to, which can be a lot of the time. You have to decide what is most important to you and stick to a healthy balance of commitment and time to find inspiration in real life.

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
In the past 12 months, my voice has grown immensely and I’ve felt more empowered to find my people. My brand has always been LGBTQ+ centric and progressively aligned. As I meet and work more with the community, I feel better equipped to provide the best curated photo experiences– the kind that heal your inner child. This year I focused on growing my skills with inclusive posing, diverse editing, fashion and editorial projects, and creative direction. I’m looking forward to learning more about producing larger commercial photoshoots!

Contact Info:

Image Credits
all pics @jaskproductions/ jaskproductions.com

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