We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Audra Jones. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Audra below.
Audra, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
In all honesty, I don’t think I have overcome it, and I’m not sure that I ever will. But, I think that’s okay as long as I keep trusting my clients when they say they like to work with me and love the images I craft for them. Essentially, even if I don’t totally believe in myself, they believe in me and trust me, so I keep showing up.
Part of the reason I think it’s okay not to look at imposter syndrome as a flaw or something that needs to be overcome for me personally is that it’s part of what drives me: to do better and work harder and always look at my work with a critical eye. To me, this craft is about doing your best but also working toward challenging yourself, learning new things, and working outside of your comfort zone. If I entirely release that imposter syndrome, then I worry I would get complacent in a way.
This is likely not true for everyone, but it works for me and I think it’s a good thing to acknowledge the ways it can serve us as creators and people.
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?
I am a published, award-winning destination boudoir and wedding photographer who has the honor of documenting the poetry of life around the world.
As a wedding photographer, I have the unique honor of capturing a really special chapter in the life of a couple and those that love them. My goal when documenting these celebrations is to be both a guide and a observer. This balance allows me to be helpful to couples navigating all the intricacies of a wedding day, but also to see the small, organic moments that are meaningful and one of a kind. Storytelling has always been integral to me as a creator and that comes through in every wedding I photograph: when you see one of the images, I want you to be immersed in the moment and really, really feel it.
With boudoir, my passion is to show the individual in front of my camera that they are my muse; that they are poetry and art. Our bodies chart our stories in so many ways and they carry our spirits, they’re incredible and we should honor and document them through every stage. I think this is especially important in a world that’s preoccupied with perfection and telling us that our value is tied to our appearance.
At the end of the day, my hope for all of my work is that it tells a story and helps preserve the wild, weird, and wonderful magic of life.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I think the three qualities that were most impactful on my journey were empathy, endless curiosity, and desire for connection. Photography as a craft requires that you learn the technical side of capturing images, from how to use your camera to how to work with any type of light, but at the heart of it all, photography (and really any business that people are at the heart of), is about meeting people where they are, hearing them, learning about them, and connecting with them and their needs.
I thought at the beginning that I would become a good photographer by learning everything I could about photography, but really I think what has made me a photographer that people want to work with is that I care about them and provide a safe, welcoming space for them to be themselves in front of a camera (which can be a very intimidating place to be).
For someone just starting out, my advice is to let yourself be vulnerable and honest and to really dig into what makes you excited about your craft. For me, it was the people and the stories I could capture, so I fostered those things and it has meant that I now get to work people that really connect with me as a person, and I with them.
Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
My ideal clients are people who are kind, thoughtful, and excited about the work we can create together. Sure, at the end of the day, photography is a service and it’s a job, but I create my best work with clients who are passionate about what we can create through collaboration, trust, and connection as people. We don’t have to be friends for life, but I want us to feel like friends at least while we’re working together. Seeing my client for who they are is what allows me to capture them in a way that’s genuine and true. It’s a lot easier to know what type of image would make someone’s heart happy when you get to know them as another human and are excited about similar things.
But on a more lighthearted note, I find that people who love the Keira Knightly version of Pride & Prejudice are often my people. The cinematography in that film inspires so much of my work and I’ve found that fans of that film, poetry, and art tend to be the type of person I work with. And, frankly, it makes me really happy.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://audrajonesphotography.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/audrajonesphotography
Image Credits
Audra Jones Photography
