jessicaweiser's photostream

*****Please note that NONE of my photos may be taken from this site and used without my permission (that includes groups, Flickr streams, etc. Just write me and ask if you want to use something or at least have the courtesy to credit me if you're going to steal it.*****

***Before my little bio, I just wanted to say THANK YOU for all of your comments, faves, testimonials, support. The past few months have been awesome and I am meeting some amazing photographers and so inspired. Lately I have had a TON of contact adds and I cannot keep up! I am so busy and I will try to leave comments and add you back as I can, I'm sorry if I don't have time for everyone!***

I graduated college in 1999 with a degree in Photojournalism. I am also trained in graphic design and self-taught in web design. I didn't go to a prestigious art university, nor did I obsess over my photography very much back then... mostly I learned how to tell stories with my camera, and I learned what I didn't want to become: a photojournalist! Specifically, a newspaper photographer... I wanted to make art but felt like I had become too programmed to look at things in a certain way. After college I moved to New York City and worked crap jobs while working on my music. It was there that I grew up about 10 years in the course of a month or two. NYC will open your eyes like no other place in the world. I was surrounded by everything, and yet the pace of it all overwhelmed me. I didn't shoot any photos for a very long time...

With the arrival of digital my interest began again and I began shooting portraits and landscapes with a Nikon Coolpix... unfortunately I forgot a lot of what I had learned in school, but maybe that was for the best anyway! I appreciate my education, but I felt like I needed to be deprogrammed a bit... Technically I've improved thanks to digital, and my interests have moved from journalism to just shooting people... from fashion and glamour, to street photography, to weddings (yes, really!), to children, babies, mothers, fathers, grandparents, whoever... I love the challenges that come with shooting portraits and I love telling a story in a different way. One of the best compliments I have received is that when someone views a photo of mine there is a story in the model's eyes, or the setting, or the costume, etc... that they want to know more. And that is my goal. I try to do things with a bit of a twist.... I am willing to do almost anything to get a good shot. "No trespassing" is not a phrase that exists in my vocabulary. ;) I adore black and white, as it is what I was trained in, and usually leave my digital camera in BW mode, but also love crazy and bold colors.

In 2006 I quit a great job as Director of Communications and left my hometown to move to Portland, ME with my husband to live our dreams. I have sacrificed a lot to do photography full-time, but slowly we are building a name for ourselves here. And of all the places I've lived, this is home.

Not one of those people who is big into discussing gear and lighting equipment and blah blah, but for anyone curious right now I'm using a Canon 20D and my primary lenses are a 24-70/f2.8, 50/f1.4, 70-200/f2.8, 17-40/f4. I also occasionally shoot with a Nikon FG and Pentax K1000, love Ilford films, Photoshop CS3, and various toy cameras (I collect old cameras). My processing is a mixture of in camera settings and a LOT of experimenting with photoshop, some of those things are my own secrets. :) I use some actions but try to do the majority of my work on my own so I can get it exactly the way I want it.

My husband and I have our own company: here. It's tough being the new kids in town, but we're working on it! :)

We are available to travel for weddings and other work. Please contact me for details and rates. Please check out our weddings website for some info.

I am also a singer/songwriter with three albums released and a designer--I design photoblogs for photographers, email me for my rates and samples!