Today we’d like to introduce you to Jess West.
Hi Jess, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I would say the best way to describe myself would be Brother Noland’s line, “She’s a coconut girl in a high fashion world”. I grew up in Hawaii on the island of Oahu. Hawaii is so special and unique. The culture is beautiful, the people are so genuine, and of course the views are to die for. Ever since I was a little kid, I felt inspired by the beauty of Hawaii and carried a camera with me everywhere I went.
There was a mountain in my backyard that my sister and I would hike almost everyday. We were never home until the sun went down. On the mountain, we would create short movies that we wrote together and put together styled shoots from our dress up clothes and our mom’s makeup.
In middle school, I was the school’s news anchor, part of the leadership program, and in love with my media class. I would combine these three parts of my education every chance I could. For Leadership, we would often have to get information out to the rest of the school about fundraisers, class activities, etc. I would use the knowledge from my media class to create commercials with my friends using iMovie and Photoshop and then air the commercials on the school news that we watched every morning.
In high school, I took my first film photography class and was part of the Film Academy Club. I was not a fan of film photography in high school, it was confusing and I didn’t understand it. I was, however, a huge fan of the Film Academy Club, where we created short movies and cinema photography projects. Anytime I had to make a presentation for a class, I would always create a short film for it. In high school, I really thought I was going to be a film director. I was researching colleges that my favorite directors went to and could not wait to move to LA someday. When I was 15, I even went to LA with my best friend to visit my favorite colleges like USC, UCLA, and Chapman University.
I started college when I was 16. I was not a fan of AP classes in high school since the only way to receive a college credit was to pass this incredibly hard exam at the end of the school year. In my sophomore year, I told my counselor why I did not want to take anymore AP classes but that I wanted to continue to earn college credits. He told me that I could drop out and go to college instead of coming back for my junior year and I took it.
During this time, I started charging for engagement, wedding, and family photoshoots. I also worked as a barista, medical office assistant, bartender, and even was the Easter Bunny. I also started working on my prerequisites at the local community college. At first looking to major in Environmental Science and then switching to a photography major after I took the best photography class of my life. Anytime I was not at work, I was in my school’s darkroom where I would be for up to eight hours at a time.
I moved to Austin, Texas at 19 years old. I continued to work a variety of jobs on the side but my main focus was building my photography career. I was still majoring in photography and working primarily as an event photographer. I shot tons of weddings, concerts, conferences, and other events. I dropped out of college because I had an extremely condescending professor who kept telling me I was not a real photographer.
I have been a full-time photographer ever since. In Austin, I continued event photography and started photographing popular YouTubers. Instead of a dining room, I had my studio set up for clients and would take self-portraits whenever I felt inspired. I moved back to Oahu and used my event photography background to really start shooting concerts. Every weekend I was shooting musicians and concerts. Concert photography is one of my favorite things to do, I have photographed Snoop Dogg, G-Eazy, Mike Studd, and so many other talented musicians.
My Monday through Friday job became a full-time surf photographer, working with the Beach Boys in Waikiki. I worked twelve-hour days on the beach taking photos for tourists learning how to surf. The days were long, the equipment was heavy, and I was at the surf shop rain or shine but, I absolutely loved it. It was so much fun working on the beach, doing what I love, and meeting awesome people from all over the world.
Then, 2020 came. I was let go from my job as a surf photographer the day Oahu got our first Covid-19 case. I really did not know what to do with myself when I got that call. I started creating sets with my sister again. We messaged local brands to create content for. When the laws started to relax a little, we started photographing more women in our area who liked the photos me and my sister took together and worked on our Instagram @coconutgirlsmedia. I started learning everything I could about boudoir and swim-styled shoots. I took online courses and became a part of every boudoir-based Facebook group I could find. Boudoir has taught me so much about love for myself, confidence in my own body, and helping women express their own self-love and confidence.
I really love helping people see themselves and helping them feel confident within themselves. During the pandemic, I had so much free time so, I decided to go back to college. I’m already a photographer so I didn’t feel the need to get the photography degree as proof. Instead, I am now majoring in Psychology. At first, I saw the value in learning psychology just for my photography. To help the people I shoot with become more comfortable in front of the camera and possibly work for National Geographic or some scholarly magazine one day. Now, the more I learn about psychology, the more I want my own clinic one day as well. I love that I have the opportunity to help people with their mental health. I’m still a passionate photographer, but I also want to be a clinical psychologist as well.
I have many years of college and university ahead of me with my current goals. It is definitely tiring being a full-time freelance photographer and full-time student but, so worth it. I’m living in Texas again and looking forward to seeing what the future holds!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road. Last year I had a couple of shoots that ended up not paying me for my work. One in particular that I drove to San Antonio and rented an airbnb for four days for. It was a week long event that I photographed at for 10 hours a day. The photography coordinator ended up giving me a check that bounced and did not reimburse me for my time or airbnb.
Other struggles include always having to know the latest trends and staying up to date with them. However, I kind of love this struggle since there is always something new that is trendy that I get to put my own spin on. It’s fun to get inspired by other people’s work and then add my own creative look.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I do not specialize in one type of photography. I love photographing something new everyday. The experiences of meeting new people and doing awesome things are just as fun as making my art. I bring light, love, and life to all of my photos. My photos are known for being very vibrant and colorful but you’re also able to see my style even in my black and white work.
I have tons of experience in events such as weddings, concerts, and conferences. My favorite wedding that I shot so far was one that I traveled to Kauai for and was held on a boat. The couple and their family were just amazing and the ceremony was so beautiful and emotional. My favorite concerts that I have photographed are between G-Eazy and Snoop Dogg. G-Eazy is my all-time favorite rapper and I was excited just to go to his concert. When I found out that I got the gig to photograph his concert I was shocked. It was the best night ever. While I was dancing and shooting him, I looked over and saw his mom and brother and was able to get some photos of them watching him that I find so special. Photographing Snoop Dogg was obviously mind-blowing and amazing. He was DJing until 4am and I was there all night photographing him and the crowd. That gig was definitely the biggest honor of my career so far.
I also have tons of experience in portraits. I love portrait sessions because I really get to know the person, couple, or family that I am photographing. I love to become friends with those I’m shooting so that I am able to take the photos that they are looking for and so that they are comfortable with me and we can get epic shots. In the past couple of years, I have started shooting boudoir and really love it as well since boudoir can be very empowering, emotional, and full of self-love. The best part of boudoir is when someone isn’t comfortable in their body but I’m hyping them up and they see the photos and they see their beauty too. Sometimes we forget that we’re sexy and boudoir can be very healing.
Photographing products is another area of photography that I adore. I love to create sets for whatever product that I’m shooting. It’s fun to listen to music and build these sets or create some cool backdrop and photograph a product that I do really like. I usually get the most creative freedom when I am photographing products which is really fun.
Any big plans?
My plans for the future are to launch my website and start selling prints of my landscape photography. I’ve been wanting to launch my website for years and am excited that I am finally close in doing so!
Pricing:
- Portraits start at $500.
- Event photos start at $1200.
- Product photos start at $250.
- Family portraits start at $800.
- Real Estate photos start at $900.
Contact Info:
- Email: jesswestphotos@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jesswestphotos
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jesswestphotography
- Other: PeakD: https://peakd.com/@jesswestphotos
Image Credits
Snoop Dogg G-Eazy Chantè West Megan Marcum Bia & Nick Stetzel
