Meet Jennifer Nace, our September Photog of the Month!
1) We welcome you to meet Jennifer Nace… baby photographer and prop junkie
phenom! Tell us a lil about yourself Jennifer, and please include links to
your sites… we wanna know and SEE more!
phenom! Tell us a lil about yourself Jennifer, and please include links to
your sites… we wanna know and SEE more!
Let’s see– I am 31. I live in a small town in Southern Minnesota. I’m married and have 2 kids. I’ve been doing photography for about 4 years now. My websites are:<
www.jennifernace.com
and facebook is: http://www.facebook.com/jnacephoto
2) Being professional, can you tell us how you started out.. and what drew
you to photography?
I actually started out designing and selling birth announcements. My best friend had a baby and she wanted me to make her a birth announcement so I did- and I took some pictures for her to use because I had a nicer camera than she did. When she sent out the announcement people asked where she got the pictures taken and soon strangers started calling to see if I would do pictures for them, too. I knew NOTHING about photography 4 years ago when this all started. Once people started calling I became obsessed with learning all I could about the craft. I didn’t want to just do it– I wanted to do it WELL. I feel SO blessed to have sort of fallen into this. I finally feel like I know what I am meant to be doing with my life.
3) Tell us more about your studio. Do you shoot natural light, or studio set
up with full lights?
3) Tell us more about your studio. Do you shoot natural light, or studio set
up with full lights?
We have an acre of land and built the studio in a separate building behind our home. I love having everything so close. I shoot with natural and studio light– equal amounts of both. I usually do part of the session natural light (I have a natural light area in my studio) and the other half with studio lights. I just think there is such a different look with each and I love the variety it gives me.
4) And of course… always important…. what do you shoot with? And what
lenses do you use and prefer? Any other gear you cant live without?
lenses do you use and prefer? Any other gear you cant live without?
I shoot with a Canon 5D Mark ii. Up until about a month ago- I was a zoom girl. The 24-70L rarely left my camera. I decided to buy a few primes (the 50mm 1.4 and the 135L) and have really fallen in love with them. I love the extra DOF I can get with the 1.4 and the 135L is just plain YUMMY. I guess the only other thing I can’t live without would be my reflector. I use the bright silver reflectrasol from Larson Enterprises as a fill light with the natural light as well as with the studio light set ups.
5) Your portraits are a perfect blend of faces and props. Do you have a
favorite prop, or style of prop, that you find you use most?
favorite prop, or style of prop, that you find you use most?
I love anything girly so I guess flower headbands are a must and I have a whole bucket full. I try to get outfits and props that go well with my backgrounds. I use the lace rompers from Chic Baby Rose a ton. They are cute alone or with a Tutu! http://www.etsy.com/shop/chicbabyrose
For newborns I can’t get enough knit hats. My favorite are from Lily and Lime boutique on Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/lilyandlimeboutique
6) We must mention those gorgeous backgrounds in so many of your pictures.
Tell us more… what you have and where you get them (love love love them
all!)
My most FAVORITE are by Becky Gregory www.intuitionbackgrounds.com I love pretty much everything she sells and I have a lot of them. They are just stunning. If I had to pick just one from her, I’d go with Sherry Blossom. I love how it’s girly without being PINK or PURPLE.
I also love using walls as backgrounds– I have a brick flex tex from Denny Manufacturing that is so versatile. I have a real barnwood wall and I also made my own tile walls. I have a ton of fabric that I use for backgrounds as well! I’m all about variety. I don’t want all of my stuff to look the same.
7) We noticed, and fell in love, with your session with “Anna”. What a
beautiful face, a gorgeous session, and an inspiring story. My (Tracy
Joy’s) niece battled and won her fight against cancer, so this story touches
me. Please tell us more about this session, and how props came into use…
7) We noticed, and fell in love, with your session with “Anna”. What a
beautiful face, a gorgeous session, and an inspiring story. My (Tracy
Joy’s) niece battled and won her fight against cancer, so this story touches
me. Please tell us more about this session, and how props came into use…
I found Anna through another little special girl I photograph. Her name is Madelaine – and like Anna, she is also battling this very aggressive form of cancer. I found both of them on Caringbridge and contacted both families out of the blue and just asked if I could do a session for them. The families were both SO wonderful and grateful. These were by FAR the most rewarding sessions I have ever done and would encourage you to donate your time to do special sessions like these when you can.
I really approached the session like I do any other. I had all of my girly stuff out for her to look at and play with when she came. She picked out her favorites and we just had FUN.
Madelaine
Anna
Do you have any other prop websites that are a fav of yours?
www.etsy.com I find pretty much everything here! LOVE it.
9) How could we not ask… do you have a fellow photographer whos work you
love and admire? I know it’s hard to find just one…
I love Kelley Ryden www.kelleyryden.com and Tracy Raver www.tracyraver.com (who doesn’t) for newborns. I also ADORE Mindy Harris www.pastelphotography.com I WILL have her photograph my family someday.
10) Being so many of us prop junkies are “jso”, or looking to branch out
further… can you share any tricks of the trade, or information on how to
“succeed” in the (much saturated) photography world?
I would say- SET YOURSELF APART. Anyone with a nice camera can go outside and shoot pictures in the park. Those are wonderful and all, but I honestly think the variety I can offer my clients sets myself apart from everyone else around me. Yes, it is an investment to purchase all of these props and backgrounds, but I know I get clients that come to me just because of all of my cute ‘stuff’. Make sure you are priced high enough that you are still making a profit after all of your purchases though….
11) And of course…. tell us about you. Are you a mama? Wife? Skydiver?
lol
I’m a Mama to 2 crazy boys (ages 4 and 6) and have been married for 10 years to my best friend. Skydiving– NO THANKS. I do love to shop though. I buy WAYY too many clothes (and props and backgrounds HA). I also love scrapbooking and designing when I have time.
~Jennifer Nace
12) With that being said… here is my favorite question…… Do you have
an extraordinary talent we should know about? Or just a weird and fun fact
about yourself?
I have really long toes and can pick up pretty much anything with my feet 
EXCITING, huh!?
~Jennifer Nace
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Nice to meet you, Jennifer! You work is beautiful!!!
Love your work, Jennifer! Even more inspiring knowing how you came about the art.
Thanks for sharing Jennifer! Great work!
gorgeous work (and props!)!!