Photo Talk Forum Blog

Photo Talk Forum member, Jessica Gwozdz is our member spotlight – she’s always willing to share the details and we’re grateful to have her with us. Here’s a little getting to know you from Jessica…

“What an honor to be featured here at Photo Talk!  My name is Jessica Gwozdz.  I live in the Chicago area and am a mom of two.  I have a 9 year old daughter, a 6 year old son, and a super-handy husband nicknamed MacGyver (because he can literally build a rocketship with a paperclip and piece of duct tape).

Like many of us, I had another life before photography although in my case photography was always entwined somehow.  I worked as a biomedical engineer for several years before my daughter was born in late 2002.  At that point I was taking pictures for family and friends (on film, ever hear of it?  Ha, ha!).  I had already been contemplating quitting engineering for a couple of years to pursue photography but I felt guilty. I was making good money, I had so many years of education, and it seemed somehow wasteful to walk away from that for the chance I might possibly be able to be successful as a photographer.  My daughter’s birth gave me the freedom to let go of the guilt and finally turn my passion into a reality.

I took the leap and have never been happier.  I work from home and am able to set my hours around my kids’ schedules.  I have dedicated space in the house for my shooting room and showroom.  I have thought about moving into a retail space but I honestly really do love working from home and my family has been so supportive of my business goals.  One of the biggest advantages to working from home is the lower overhead and the ability to ride out the ebbs and tides in this ever-changing marketplace.

I am a bit of a control freak when it comes to lighting so my niche has become studio portraiture.  I would describe my style as bright, crisp, and clean.  Even though my work is created in a controlled studio environment, I strive to have a relaxed and fun feel.

In 2010 I became a Certified Professional Photographer thru the “Certify with Sandy” program.  I am a mentor at ClickinMoms and also teach a beginners studio lighting workshop there.  It’s really a lot of fun to “talk shop” about studio lighting intensively for 4 straight weeks.  I never realized how much I would enjoy teaching – I am having a blast!

I know this blog feature is about being inspired, so I want to talk about inspiration.  I am inspired everyday by my kids, my clients, and by the amazing and beautiful work I see fellow photographers creating.  I am also inspired by photos I see in advertisements.  Sometimes I find myself looking at product ads and mentally dissecting the lighting patterns to see if I can recreate them.  This may sound crazy, but a couple of years ago I participated in a self-portrait challenge that involved a photo a day for an entire year.  I learned so much during that year because I was able to try things on myself that I wouldn’t normally try with a client.  That year opened up a whole new level of creativity and courage for me.

Here is sampling of some of my favorite images, both client work and from my self-portrait project.

Thanks for reading my feature.  I feel so blessed to be able to do something I love and to be in the company of so many amazing and creative photographers!” :: Jessica Gwozdz