We were lucky to catch up with Jenn Ceriale recently and have shared our conversation below.
Jenn, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I was scrolling through some google Image search trying to find a visual representation of a candle fragrance. This is not the North Star of many graphic designers, but it was for me in dimly lit, quiet mornings that I snuck in at my corporate job before anyone else got to the office. I had the opportunity to tell visual stories alongside expert perfumers, giving meaning to a sense that we, as people, often overlook in the form of household fragrances.
That morning I had stumbled upon an image of a bride and a groom walking hand-in-hand along a line of crisp redwood trees. This image, while striking, would not have pleased the team I was working with—an image focusing more on the leaves or bark or foggy air might have worked better. But I was transfixed.
A whole story was woven into this photograph. The bride, young and bright eyed, was blushing at her new husband as if for the first time as he led her toward some unseen destination. What would it be like to witness these meaningful moments? I’d only been to one or two weddings in my life at that point, and even then I was an uninterested kid. As a designer, I’d created a lot of visuals from scratch or by inspiration, jumping through the hoops of “the slide should convey delight and freedom, but in a corporate way” and “we need this in an hour, make it unique and beautiful.” The contrast between the most romantic moments of someone’s life and clicking around a screen to make something for a company was palpable.
A few clumsy trials and errors at wedding photography on weekends and five years later, I was perched in my second bedroom apartment nervously pushing my coffee cup and Lacroix can into a straight line. A ripped half of notebook paper was propped against my computer screen, cursive scribbled neatly and then hastily as the lines went on: “12+ months of doing the work of 2 people”, “more responsibilities including photography, videography, leadership,” and so on. My boss had a few times over the course of a year told me my promised promotion was on her “list of to dos”, so now that my yearly review had come around, I was hanging on to one final kernel of optimism.
I don’t remember exactly what she said after the Microsoft Teams meeting started and we entered the discussion and I learned that I would be getting neither recognition nor promotion, but I remember my blood racing. I felt small. Like the work I was pouring my life and heart and soul into was being observed with neutrality. It didn’t matter that I was doing it.
As she spoke, my thoughts wandered to a recent wedding I had photographed: a bride’s father cupping his mouth in delighted surprise the first time he saw her in her stunning wedding gown. The tears gathering in the groom’s eyes as she approached him in front of everyone that they loved, unable to hold back her beautiful grin. I remembered my own wedding just a few months prior, and the feelings that flooded back every time I reached to turn off my bedside lamp and saw the framed photo of my husband smiling, looking like James Bond in his tux as he saw me walking down the aisle.
That night, I told him I was leaving my corporate job to pursue work that actually mattered. And then I did.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Although I’ve been photographing weddings, elopements, and families for just a few years shy of a decade now (holy cow!), I still consider myself to be in the very beginning of my professional journey. Transitioning from W2 to full-time photographer has been one of the most challenging and interesting phases of my life so far, and I’m still struggling and pinching myself all the time.
I’m learning that I’m not the only one—I’m part of a few Facebook groups of other photographers who are either looking to make the jump that I did or have done so recently and are wrestling with the ins and outs of owning a small business. The truth is you have to pretend online that you’re this superstar biz owner who’s neat and tidy and posting to your Instagram or blog like it’s no big deal, when (at least for me) every public-facing move I make has just as much fear as it does excitement. On a near-daily basis I bounce between holding my head in my hands wondering “who in the world let me do this?” and power-posing in my living room feeling like I’m on top of the world because a couple I met with told me “we absolutely love your style and personality” and subsequently booked me to photograph their wedding day.
As for what I actually do, I spend time with people—I learn about them and about how they interact with each other. I try to see and document the ways that makes relationships unique. My personal mission for myself is to have a lot of fun doing it—for me, this means bringing tons of dad jokes & being a bit (very) silly where I can. If my couple isn’t having fun, then I’m not having fun.
I shot an engagement session recently where a couple had the audacity to tell me when I asked what they liked to do together, “oh, we’re so boring. We like going to record shops and watching old movies together.” I love that. I love the humility of thinking your life is dull when it’s anything but, and getting to not only see it but show it back to them so they can see just how un-boring they are.
Right now I’m still booking weddings (& engagements, elopements, couples, really anything interesting) for 2024 and 2025. I just started making each of my wedding couples magazines, kind of like an album alternative, that will come with every package booked for 2025. It’s so cool to flip through a wedding day that way. Don’t get me wrong, it’s very different from a gorgeous heirloom album, but for my work I’m all about cool factor (and I come from a background of design, so that part of me will never rest).
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?
Ask me again in 15 years! Haha.
1. Treat every human being *like a human being*. I think this applies to everyone, but especially anyone who owns a business or is trying to learn, grow, and evolve. The times I’ve felt most successful or like I’m on the right track have been when I’m genuinely connecting with my clients or other people in my industry. We all have to lean on each other and learn from each other. In order to do that, we have to be genuinely kind and curious about others.
2. Find a mentor. It doesn’t have to be official or paid, it can even just be someone you do work for or admire. I think it’s so important to have people you look up to, to emulate and talk to when you have questions. Point 2b: ask the darn question. Don’t just rely on Google. You’ll learn a lot more from talking to people than the internet, and if you look dumb for asking, who cares? You’re growing. That shouldn’t get in the way of your success.
3. Keep your work life separate from your home life. I nearly ruined a beautiful habit of running because I would listen to business-related podcasts while I did, and then wondered why it didn’t give me as much joy as it used to. As creatives, we’re idea-machines, but we risk coloring outside the lines and muddying the whole picture. Decide what is important to you and organize your life accordingly.
My advice for friends who are early in their journey: develop your mindset early on, and keep developing it. By this, I mean learn what it actually means to be the person you want to be, and what patterns your thoughts need to be in to be there. The most successful people you know think differently, move differently, behave differently. You need to have beautiful and encouraging thoughts about yourself and to be your own best friend.
Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
You’re an ideal client for me if:
– you love color, art, music–there’s something creative that sets your soul on fire
– you’re playful & open-souled–there’s a part of you that’s just a big kid wanting to play
– you’ll laugh at my dumb (not dumb) puns
(and if you’re a couple looking for a wedding photographer)
– you’re in stinkin’ mad love and you just wanna dance about it
Contact Info:
- Website: http://studiostarling.co
- Instagram: @studio.starling
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/studiostarlingco
Image Credits
Kailey Edwards Photography (personal photo)
Studio Starling (all others)
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
