We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jen Roberts. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jen below.
Jen, 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.
Imposter syndrome is no joke! There have been moments where I felt like I wanted to quit because I didn’t feel good enough, or I felt I was comparing my work to others and not measuring up to where I wanted to be. While I still experience imposter syndrome at times, I’ve learned how to somewhat overcome it over the years. The most important thing I’ve found is to stop yourself from comparing. Comparison is the thief of joy. The more you compare yourself, the more you will find faults in yourself. By focusing on yourself primarily and using other photographers images as inspiration, you can dig yourself out of the imposter syndrome pit. Every time you feel a negative thought telling you you’re not good enough, replace it with two or three positive thoughts telling yourself you are good enough and to keep going. This can help to rewire your brain to think more positively. By believing in yourself and your abilities, you can overcome imposter syndrome.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Photography has been my passion for years now. While I started my business doing a little bit of everything, I have niched it down over the years. I have discovered what fuels my creative spirit when shooting, which is capturing authentic, candid memories and moments that you can keep for a lifetime, especially weddings. I love to utilize the outdoors and natural light. Golden sunlight hour, or as I like to call it, magic hour, is my favorite time to shoot.
While capturing memories fuels my artistic creative side, I also enjoy helping small businesses and business owners brand their companies. I love being able to learn the stories of business owners and capturing that through my lens to help represent their companies and help their visions for their companies come to life. I have recently partnered with a videographer to help me level up how I help small businesses. Not only does he help with photography, but he also helps with social media management. Him and I have integrated monthly and quarterly branding subscription packages so that our clients can have consistent, updated content. I am excited to see how these new services can continue to help small businesses thrive.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back, I think three areas of knowledge that were most impactful in my journey were: 1. Learn as much as you can about light. Without light, taking photos is difficult. By learning how light affects images, you can bring life to your photography. Understanding light is what ultimately gave me the confidence to shoot in any type of scenario at any time of the day. Would I prefer a shoot midday when the sun is at its peak? Most likely not, but if I am put in that situation, I know how to make the most of the light that I have. Knowledge of light is probably the most impactful area of knowledge in my photography journey.
2. Take time to discover your niche – don’t be afraid to say no to certain things that don’t align with you and your art. More often than not, I have been offered to do all kinds of different shoots, from lifestyle, to wedding, to branding, real estate, and even Santa photos. While I have been offered a variety of shoots, I have learned the art of saying “no” to shoots that don’t align with my brand, where I want to take my brand, or the type of photography I enjoy and have spent most of my time developing in that certain area. By saying no, you’re giving more room for the people you want to work with to come in. You are becoming known for something, and people know they can rely on you to produce quality work with what you’re best at. Don’t spread yourself too thin trying to do everything under the sun.
3. Give your glory to God. It’s easy to get caught up in your abilities as an artist, but the ultimate artist is the man upstairs. It’s important to understand that he gave you your abilities and has the best plan for you. Don’t try to make your own plan without consulting Him first. He has been able to direct my business in ways that I didn’t think was possible. Completely surrendering everything you have to Him gives Him the opportunity to work in your life and bless you. Don’t get too caught up in doing this journey alone, you have someone who will be with you by your side, always.
What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?
While some may say that it’s best to be more well rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in, I’d rather go all in on my strengths. My strengths are what will fuel and sustain my niche. If I try to spread myself too thin across too many different areas, then my focus will be scattered and it would take me much longer to truly develop those skills. Perhaps the areas you are not as strong in are not your passion. Why invest into something when it’s not your passion or something that you see yourself continuing to do in the future? I recently had an instance relating to this happen. My business partner had unintentionally made a comment regarding my indoor photography that ultimately helped me to pivot my focus onto what I really enjoyed, photography with natural light, outside. I feel most myself and most creative when I can take candid photos of moments and memories outside. While indoor photography might have helped the success of my business, I find myself enjoying outdoor photography much more. Even though I still do some indoor photography, I don’t invest into the specific lighting equipment that one might need in order to have a successful indoor shoot. I have learned to work with natural light, especially by windows, while shooting indoors. I am putting my main focus on natural lighting from the sun and am learning how to utilize it’s incredible qualities to bring life to my photos.
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