Mondays suck. Especially if you hate your job. But the day doesn’t have to be a total waste. You can now look forward to reading about ReadyMakers who have worked their way into f*&%ing awesome jobs—and maybe find a little inspiration to jumpstart your own career in the process.
Wedding photographers Jesse and Whitney Chamberlin know something about love—they’re married, for one thing—and when they shoot special events, they aim for “unique photos that capture real beauty rather than manufactured robo-photos that pasteurize originality.” Today, Jesse talks to us about the couple’s photography studio, Our Labor of Love, and their special instrument of photographic joy, the Smilebooth. (Think of the fun and spontaneity of stuffing a few of your friends into an old, black-and-white photo booth, and then imagine upping the ante with a high-quality camera lens, customizable backdrops, and best of all, standing room for even more of your buddies. Yes, it’s pretty great.)
VITAL STATS
Occupation: Photographer + Smilebooth-er
Location: Atlanta
Age: Jesse, 30 and Whitney, 35
First Job: Jesse, Librarian
Whitney, Picking up empty shells at a shooting range
Best Job: What we do now!
Greatest Professional Challenge: Trying not to overwork ourselves.
Salary During 20s: Depending on the year, anywhere from 30k to 85k
1. Hi, Jesse and Whit
Chamberlin. How did you two get that f*&%ing awesome job?
Well, it’s been a long road, but we both know where we want it to end…with us working for ourselves. Although Whitney had experienced some success with event production and I was laboring under the title ‘working artist,’ we weren’t exactly sure what our company should do; however one thing was clear: we would name it Our Labor of Love. We decided to stick to what we knew best, photography and production. We built a very basic website and managed to book a couple of weddings. We tried our bestest to attract customers who would let us be creative and before we knew it, OLOL exploded. We landed a crazy exhausting 40-wedding year schedule, cementing us as wedding photographers. On the side, we developed a digital photobooth we dubbed The Smilebooth. The more weddings we booked, the more The Smilebooth was used. We think The Smilebooth is so much fun, and now it’s a hit (so excited!).
2. What’s special about Our Labor of Love, and where’d you get the idea (and the great name)?
It’s one of those things where we just committed to doing photography the best way we knew how. We knew it wasn’t conventional in the wedding world, but we confidently stuck to our strengths. We continue to be intrigued by wedding dynamics, the variety, the details, the moments that happen inbetween staged photos. It’s safe to conclude we are not into the “robo-posed” wedding photos. (The Smilebooth is evidence of that.) We approach our photography not just with a photojournalist’s eye, but we express interest in “getting to know” who we are shooting; the end result is definitely a combination of what we are able to see and the clients’ personalities.
As far as the name is concerned, it was all Whitney. He had been carrying OLOL in his back pocket for a while, just waiting for his next entrepreneurial escapade. It perfectly suited and summed up our life’s work; there was never a debate.
3. How did you get started working in photography?
Well, in some way or another, I have always been an artist; but photography was always the constant in my life. A number of things contributed to this: I grew up with a darkroom in my house, attended a boarding school with a strong photo program, and majored in fine art photography in college. Having crafted high-profile productions for companies like Nike, Microsoft, Target, and IKEA, Whitney also appreciated photography, and he naturally had a good eye for capturing moments. He has always held the opinion that photography is integral to finding that next great job.
4. When did you know you wanted to own your own business? What steps did you have to go through to make it real?
From the beginning, no doubt. You know…who doesn’t want to work for themselves? When I first started, I actually shot a couple of weddings for an established company that had essentially contracted my services. It was a dreadful experience because it lacked that special cohesive bond; in fact, there wasn’t any kind of relationship. I feel photography is an intimate artform. In order to get that interesting portrait, you must feel connected on some level. And that’s what we try to do. We decided that if we were really going to do this, then we wanted associates with whom we connected.
We made it real with a lot of hard work and a little bit of luck. Behind the scenes, Whitney is really the architect. He is such a fantastic person to work with because he makes things happen by just going for it. Obstacles…schmobstacles, we say!! It took one conversation to lay the ground work; two weeks to pull together a portfolio, a website, a logo, and some contracts; and now for five years we’ve been tweaking and perfected all aspects.
And finally, we can’t forget The Smilebooth, which became its own entity forging new ground, beyond weddings, into events and parties. It’s been a work in progress, but this March we are launching an initiative where we sell Smilebooths to other photographers.
5. How much of your business is wedding photography? And what does it take to take a good wedding photo? Do you have any advice for amateurs or aspirants?
I would say 75% is wedding photography, with The Smilebooth owning the other 25%…occasionally some editorial photography is thrown into the mix.
Good photos are often the result of trusting yourself and knowing your client. If you know the kind of customers you want to shoot, then figure out how to attract them. Regardless, you have to study people, study trends (whether to follow or buck ‘em), practice staying calm because things will inevitably go wrong, develop ways to encourage your clients to feel comfortable not just in front of the camera but through then entire process. Don’t skimp on the good glass – buy some nice lenses. Set goals. But most importantly, know and exploit your strengths.
6. What is your typical day like?
Well, the first couple hours of every day are spent with our 3 year old. Then after, depending on the day, the following six hours are spent answering 200+ emails (this is my least favorite part of the job). Sometimes there is photo work to be done during the week, but mostly it’s weekends when the action takes place. Any spare minutes are used to relax or take in a movie; for Whitney, he researches the latest and coolest Smilebooth updates.
7. What are the biggest pleasures of the job? What could you do without?
Geez…where to start? I love, love having the opportunity to work with so many talented and amazing people. I really enjoy the experience of finishing a wedding and then coming away with a new appreciation or insight on family, love, or relationships. Being my own boss is fantastic, and being able to work with Whitney isn’t too shabby either ;)
The Smilebooth abounds with contagious laughter; from setup to editing, I am always entertained. We also have been fortunate enough to travel to some pretty incredible places (as I write, we are en route from Marrakesh, Morocco). This list is really endless. Other perks would include flexible week days, experiencing unique events, making awesome friends, and still being able to flex my “artist muscles.”
8. What advice would you give to someone who wanted to do something similar to what you’ve done?
See Question 5. Just kidding.
Know your strengths and don’t take yourself too seriously.
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