Today we’d like to introduce you to Lia Jenkins.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Lia. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Well, I am a second-generation photographer. My Dad always had a passion for photography and taught me the Rule of Thirds at a young age. I remember coaching friends on where to place people’s heads in the frame for group photos at a summer youth camp. I joined the yearbook club in my junior year of high school and I was hooked! I loved photographing people and events and discovered freedom & safety behind the camera.
Despite my love for photography, I felt the need to pursue a pre-med degree in college and declared a Biology major when I started my undergrad coursework at the University of Colorado Denver. Looking back, it was definitely not the best fit for me, but I am loyal to a fault so I stuck with it. I took two photography courses while I was there and they set the stage for me to start a side business as a photographer. I ended up graduating with a B.S. in Biology, a B.A. in Spanish, and two minors – Environmental Science and Leadership.
I started interning my last year of college with an environmental consulting firm and was hired full-time with them once I graduated. I continued to do photography on the side for three years until I had my daughter in 2012. She was a very challenging baby and I ended up leaving my position as a natural resource specialist to stay home and focus on her. My husband, daughter and I moved to Oregon shortly after my daughter turned one. It was in Oregon that I dabbled in real estate photography and started taking portraits again. We moved back to Denver after seven months in Oregon for a job opportunity. I started working for a different environmental consulting firm and continued taking portraits on the side, which again slowed down when I had my son in 2016.
Flash forward to January 2019 and after struggling to balance my environmental planning career with two young kids, I decided to transition to photography full-time. Around the same time that I made the decision to transition out of consulting, a fellow photographer and friend told me that she could use my help with her business photographing high school seniors over the summer. It was truly kismet.
So June 2019 marked a big step for me…when I left my almost nine-year career as a natural resource specialist to build my photography business and take my skills to the next level. I’m so grateful for this opportunity to do what I love while having more flexibility with my kids.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have been many obstacles and challenges along the way, including financial hardship from career transitions and job loss; two young kids – one of which never took a bottle (I ended up leaving my job to stay home and nurse her), and both of which were not great sleepers (talk about years of sleep deprivation!); six moves in the last seven years; and most recently, three car accidents and the loss of a family member in the course of six months. It’s been a rocky road for sure.
Please tell us more about your work. What do you do? What do you specialize in? What sets you apart from competition?
Well, I have over 12 years of experience – I specialize in portrait photography, including headshots & lifestyle portraits, family portraits, maternity, newborn (lifestyle), and senior portraits. I also photograph events and have experience with real estate & commercial photography. I use both natural light and off-camera flash.
My approach to portraits is curious & honest. In the first photography course I took in college, I chose to do a series of portraits of women as my final assignment. It was film photography and my instructor commented that all of the portraits I took were very “honest”. I’ll never forget that and it’s driven my approach to portraits ever since. I gravitate toward honest, up-close-and-personal shots where the eyes are the focus. Eyes are truly windows to the soul.
I love the challenge of photographing people who claim to be not be photogenic. I take pride in the fact that I can get a natural smile out of just about everyone. I’ve had several clients comment on how fun and easy their experience was. I also love the challenge of photographing children. It’s something that I am really good at and want to focus my business on more this year…there is nothing quite like capturing the true spirit of a child in a photograph.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Thus far, I’m most proud of the moment I decided to pursue photography full-time and build my business. It was a really scary decision and not at the most ideal time for my family. But when I made that choice, so many opportunities presented themselves that wouldn’t have otherwise. I faced a lot of fears head-on and grew a lot in skill and confidence last summer. And I’m excited to continue to capture moments for people and grow as a photographer.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.liashareephotography.com
- Email: lia@liashareephotography.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/liashareephoto
- Facebook: facebook.com/liashareephoto
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