Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenna McElroy.
Hi Jenna, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I fell in love with film photography when I was 17 in high school in Lufkin, TX. We would shoot on our 35 mm cameras and go develop our film ourselves in the darkroom afterward. Bringing a moment to life through my camera, my soul had been reunited with a piece of itself. I felt like I finally had a way to express myself. The smell of chemicals in the darkroom, the sound of the slow shutter clicking, the long moments composing photos; it was all such a beautiful experience.
I decided to go to the University of Texas in Austin and decided that I needed to have a ‘real major’, so I put photography on the back burner and received a dual major and dual minor from UT. When I was a senior in college, I became surprised pregnant with my boyfriend of 10 years (now husband), and having our son was the most transitional moment in my life. After he was born, my mom gave my first DSLR and having the camera in my hands again, it was all over. I allowed myself to be the photographer that I’d always been, and I officially started my business in 2013.
I have had a successful wedding and portrait photography business since 2013 shooting weddings all over the United States and the world! I am now photographing portraits, families, commercial and brands! I also teach photography workshops and coach other creatives into creating successful and profitable creative businesses. In 2021, I opened my first photography studio, which was a long-time dream, in downtown Austin at 8th & Congress!
It has been a long and beautiful journey, and I’m beyond grateful to live my creative dream every single day. Capturing stories and savoring beauty through photographs is one of the joys of my life.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
One of the biggest obstacles I have faced is losing one of my dear friends and my second photographer for weddings, Justin Douglas. It has been heartbreaking to lose a vibrant soul and artist who had so much life left to live!
It is a reminder to me that is a joy a privilege to grow older. I want to soak in every moment and chase my dreams without abandon. I want to listen to the muses of my life and bring art to life for others to appreciate and grow through. I want to grow deep in connection with my work, with myself and with the amazing souls around me. I want to live every day soaking in the small and sparkly moments and breathe in the depth of this life.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
‘Luck’ is what happens when we chase our calling, our passions and follow the desires of our hearts. When we begin to manifest what we want out of this beautiful life, we are telling the universe specifically what we want and that we are ready to receive this. We are bringing our dreams to a reality of self-expression. Never stop chasing your dreams and your creativity, the world needs your voice, your soul and your art!
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@jennamcelroy.com
- Website: https://www.jennamcelroy.com
- Instagram: @jennamcelroyphoto
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennamcelroyphotography
Image Credits
The photo of me – Feather & Twine.
All other photos are my work – Jenna McElroy.
