We caught up with the brilliant and insightful HJPhotoCo. a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi HJPhotoCo., appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
HJPhotoCo is a photography duo based in New York. These questions will be answered as a company!
Our resilience comes from having the mindset that the only option we have is to succeed. We set realistic goals each year, small obtainable achievements, and check them off the list as we go!
Our parents are all hardworking middle class people who did whatever necessary to provide for their families and we think that mentality carries over into how we treat our business.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
HJPhotoCo is a photography duo based in New York. Long Island specifically. The “H” is Holly Desautels and the “J” is Jaclyn Kalafut. We’re partners in business but partners in life as well!
We primarily focus on weddings, engagements, family portraits and special events. We also do some branding and sports photography on the side.
Our style of photography is timeless, emotional and documentary. We love to capture the raw emotion and beauty of people in their most incredible moments in life. We literally LIVE for it!
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?
Comparison: Get to know your fellow photographers and learn from them, water them and help them grow. Surround yourself with a small tight community of people in that space that you trust. However, don’t compare yourself to them. Comparing yourself to others will get you nowhere. We know this for a fact. Instead celebrate others victories while staying in your lane and focusing on your goals!
Support other vendors: This seems like common sense but people mess this one up all the time. Introduce yourself to the DJ, the wedding planner, everyone working the event. They are on the same team as you. They are also trying to give your client the best experience they can! We can’t tell you how beneficial it is to have a DJ that coordinates toasts, special dances and cake cutting. So introduce yourself and get to know your teammates.
Book the RIGHT clients: This is actually the most important tip we could give someone starting out. When you first begin working weddings and events, you want to say YES to everyone. The truth is … you want to make sure that clients fit you and that you fit them when it comes to working together, especially for weddings. This is crucial to achieving the best possible outcome. Y’all absolutely have to vibe! Don’t be afraid to gently let down a couple that doesn’t fit your criteria. It may hurt to lose that money or have to tell someone you’re not a good fit, but you really want to be excited for every booking you have and not dread that one impending wedding all year!
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
The answer to this question is simply each other. We are each other’s cheerleaders! Constantly pushing each other to take risks, hone in on our skills and continue to grow and flourish.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hjphotoco.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hjphotoco?igsh=Mm5zNnRvcjFmdjA0&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1CvNkym7AV/?mibextid=LQQJ4d
Image Credits
All photos provided are taken by HJPhotoCo.
