• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Female Creatives Association

The Female Creatives Association - Business, Marketing + Mindset for Creative Business Owners

  • Home
  • Start Here
  • Courses
    • Facebook Ads Academy for Photographers
    • SHINING LIGHTS
    • Storyteller- WORDS GET CLIENTS
    • Mentoring Masterclass
  • About
  • Blog
  • Member Login

Beyond the Law: My Unlikely Path to Professional Photography

January 31, 2017 by Jen Dziuvenis Leave a Comment

Beyond the Law: My Unlikely Path to Professional Photography

 Ten years ago, I was finishing my last year of law school, preparing for the bar exam, and looking forward to a stressful career sitting behind a desk, navigating the American legal system. If you had told me that nearly a decade later I’d be getting paid to follow adventurous couples into the backcountry or jetting off to Iceland to photograph an elopement, I would have told you that you were nuts.

But that’s where I am and I wanted to share a bit about how I got here.

As with many of the best changes in life, my move into the world of professional photography was brought on by some pretty extreme discomfort. My “real” job had been making me miserable for way too long when one day I hit a breaking point. I realized that the small amount of money I was taking home after I paid for our son’s daycare wasn’t worth the anxiety I was experiencing at work … and that continuing to do what I was doing was the definition of insanity.

That night I had a heart-to-heart with my family, drank a couple glasses of wine, and mustered up a heaping dose of courage. There may have been some tears. Turning in my resignation the following day was equal parts scary and liberating. I didn’t know what was next but I was damn sure that I needed to be doing something different.

Beyond the Law: My Unlikely Path to Professional Photography

All images by Jen Dziuvenis.

At that time I had been doing photography as a hobby for several years, mostly taking pictures of pretty landscapes and crazy cyclists ripping up trails in the mountains. Friends had asked me to take their family photos or suggested that I shoot their weddings and I had flatly refused. “That’s not really what I do …” were the words that came out of my mouth.

“No freaking way!” is what I said in my head.

Being a wedding photographer couldn’t have been farther off my radar. I didn’t especially enjoy going to weddings. Why would I want to photograph them?

Then one day, through the magic of social media, I stumbled on photographers who were doing stuff that I loved — work that spoke to my sense of adventure and search for authentic connection. People like Ben Sasso and Jordan Voth completely changed my idea of what wedding and portrait photography could be. Stiff, awkward poses were replaced with real emotion, undeniable human connection, and some of the most incredible landscapes on earth. A fire had been lit.

Beyond the Law: My Unlikely Path to Professional Photography

I decided to step out of my comfort zone and try my hand at photographing humans. I begged my friends to model for me and answered Craigslist ads looking for photographers. I connected with an online community of local photographers and did some second shooting at weddings. I agree when a friend offered to pay me to shoot her own wedding day.

I was scared as hell and full of doubt. I did it anyway.


Thinking about using social media to grow your business? Facebook Ads Academy for Photographers gives you all of the fundamentals you need to leverage the most powerful social network in the world to make much, much more money than you’re making now. We’ll teach you the tricks & secrets to create a successful Facebook campaign on your very first try.


In a span of a few months photography went from an expensive hobby to a baby business that was bringing in enough money to convince me that this could actually be a thing. I booked a few weddings, doubled my rates, and booked some more. I invested in training and equipment. I landed my first international destination wedding. I had photos go wildly viral. For a very new business, I was having far more success than I had ever imagined was possible.

mandydavidDC-561

That’s not to say that it’s been easy or that I’ve been able to turn this into a fulltime gig overnight. Even with quick success, it’s slow going and a huge percentage of what I make goes straight back into the business. I’m working harder than I ever have — and doing it for less money.

And yanno what? I’m loving every damn minute of it.

I had a regularly occurring meeting at my last job that caused me considerable anxiety. Every few weeks it would pop up on my schedule and I’d curse and cringe. I left it on my calendar when I quit that job as a constant reminder of why I left. That message still pops up every two weeks but now it doesn’t cause me angst. Now it makes me feel proud. It’s a reminder that I left that world behind, took control of my life, and am hustling like hell to pursue my passions.

Save

Save

Save

Filed Under: Featured1, HUSTLE, INSPIRE, Jen Dziuvenis, LIFE, MOTIVATE, SHOOT, Starting Out, WORK IT

About Jen Dziuvenis

Jen Dziuvenis is a recovering lawyer who left the legal world behind to pursue her passion for visual storytelling. She had no idea that the DSLR she bought to take photos of her dogs would change the course of her life. She found her niche in photography when she realized that her love for landscape photography and adventure sports could be integrated into wedding and portrait work. She lives with her family in Colorado where she specializes in taking pictures of adventurous people in amazing place. She can be found at www.jendzphotography.com

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Don’t Miss These Posts

Everything You Need to Know About the Instagram Shadowban

Everything You Need to Know About the Instagram Shadowban

By Ty Merkel

How To Build A Tribe Of 11,000 Fans In One Year

How To Build A Tribe Of 11,000 Fans In One Year

By The FCA

Hate Selling? Do These 7 Things Instead Plus Free Checklist!

Hate Selling? Do These 7 Things Instead Plus Free Checklist!

By The FCA

How To Use Facebook To Get Clients

How To Use Facebook To Get Clients

By The FCA

Discouraged or Flat? Read this.

Discouraged or Flat? Read this.

By The FCA

Before Footer

Explore the Blog

Find all the resources you need to jump start your business.

  • Hustle
  • Inspire
  • Motivate
  • Balance
  • Life
  • Editor's Letters
  • Tips & Tricks
  • Online
  • Work It
  • All Posts

Get Free Education!

Sign up for inspiration, insanely useful advice & FREE classes, all geared for creative entrepreneurs like you!

Don't worry, we hate spam too.

Looking for something?

Footer

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • Contact
  • Member Login

© 2023 femalecreativesassociation.com ·