Making of a Denver Maternity and Newborn Photographer

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I love hearing the stories of my people.

To really look at these beautiful souls with love, to hear their story and feel their journey. To know the story of their lives unfolding.

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Today I want to share my story.

During this pandemic, right here, right now in Denver

this city I love and call home. I celebrate you. I celebrate the why behind how

I became a maternity and newborn photographer that has never been pregnant.

It is an honor to support women and families during this special time of transition and I feel so grateful for this gift.

Doing this work brings me so much joy and I feel so aligned on a soul level with this beautiful exchange with new families in my community.

My story was originally published by Voyage Denver, here it is for your reading pleasure and enjoyment. I type this beyond humbled that you’d take the time to read a few chapters of my story.

All the love,

JJ xx

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Since I was a little girl, I’ve always enjoyed pouring creative intuition into my play space. You could find me clipping magazine photos, style inspiration, patterns, textures and color swatches, compiling them into these lovely stapled together computer paper books. I adored styling Barbie fashion shows and strutting them down a runway – I even recorded my own outfit commentary on cassette. Ask me what my dream gig was, I would likely have told you that I desired to become BOTH a news anchor AND a swimsuit model when I grew up. Ha! I look back and ask myself what sort of media I was being exposed to…but that’s a whole different side rant. As I matured, I realized that human connection is what I crave most in life and within my work. It engages and feeds me, pushes me to bring my best, most present self.

So, side note confession. I honestly had no idea what I was doing when I became an entrepreneur. I knew it was in my blood-my grandfather was a tractor implement owner in Iowa. Yet the vast majority of my family chose to work for corporations. Looking at my career path, I’ve been fortunate to interact and work alongside so many glorious women, regardless of context.

The achiever mindset within beckoned me down the corporate path and I began working for a fortune 50 company while earning my bachelors degree in marketing. I began my “corporate career” as a track roller frame assembler in a manufacturing facility which exposed me to some wonderful women that took me under their motherly wing. I gained insight not only on assembly processes and techniques but also the warmth presence in this community of women. Perhaps the most enlightened I’ve felt due to proximity to other women in a corporate setting was found in legal services and trademarks. Working under a dozen attorneys, I learned an extensive amount about trademarks, copyrights and intellectual property. I was exposed to high powered corporate female attorneys that were empathic and intuitive. I was in awe.

I continued working in the corporate world making stops in public affairs and logistics planning before becoming a photographer

As my career shifted in 2010, I challenged myself to look within. In full exploration of my true calling, I began to truly investigate

What do I truly crave to create with my life?

How do my unique skills set, gifts and talents that I’ve been given culminate to offer something impactful in the world?

I realized that it isn’t swimsuit modeling or working for a news network that inspires me….not even working for a fortune 50 company. My calling is supporting women.

Marinating in the potential of truly coming alongside my clients in impactful ways, I observed so many women shifting from wives to mothers, attempting to get pregnant, struggling. Working to cope with difficult pregnancies or postpartum depression, these women, this time in their lives, this is what inspired me to do the work I do today. This is the work that I know I feel beckoned to.

It is my true honor and gift to come alongside other women in Colorado as they welcome their babies to the world. It fulfills and feeds my soul in ways I can’t properly articulate. I often indicate that I live vicariously through my clients – I’ve never been pregnant and I don’t desire to be a mother. This often shocks my clients and if I look within, as I’ve gotten curious, I’ve asked myself what it is about working with newborns and pregnant people that beckon me and warm my heart. I feel the answers came to me when I look back at my upbringing and my mother’s experience during pregnancy and postpartum. My beautiful mama was a teenage mom her first go around with my older sister. While she waited seven years to bring me into the world, I know that she struggled deeply, just as most moms struggle. I know that my mother, the woman who created me, encountered postpartum depression. Perhaps at the core of it all, this is my way of connecting with this woman who was struggling. A healing of ancestral wounds or sorts.

I began connecting with my camera and began to see that my DSLR was the gateway to career fulfillment and supporting women in transition. I also feel a sense of generational pride, twofold, really. While healing the maternal wounds present, also channeling my grandfather’s entrepreneurial vibes.

Pregnancy is beautiful and miraculous. A special gift, worthy of documentation and celebration. I am a pregnancy and baby photographer. But really, I am an advocate and supporter of women stepping into the fullness of their humanity and embracing their human presence, with the ability to see abundance in their existence.

All the love to all the women who’ve trusted me to come alongside them as they become mothers.

Denver Maternity Photographer | Kristen | Expecting

This beautiful couple rekindled my love with my midwestern roots.

Thankful to document this special time of achy feet, a sore back, tired legs, stretch marks, pounds, hormones, morning sickness, carseat research and take a moment to celebrate the tiny miracle growing inside that sweet baby bump. Celebrating the 40 weeks of sweet anticipation between these two sweet souls.

While we didn’t grow up in the same city or state, this geographical commonality somehow brings an innate knowing, an appreciation of Colorado weather and landscape, similar speech intonation and a feel that this person somehow radiates that nostalgic feeling of home.

Meet Kristen and Tyler. They’re welcoming a baby so soon and I adored meeting them.

So when Kristen put this gorgeous dress on, the Denver maternity photographer in me fell in LOVE with the colors, the fit. These two. I fell flat on my face in love with these images.

Tell me this baby isn’t going to be the cutest thing ever?!?!

Congrats to these two midwestern rooted souls as they plant a whole new life here in Denver as a family of three. ALL the love - thrilled to see you again soon once this whole pandemic thing chills out.

Denver Family Studio Photo Session

The beauty and miracle of motherhood and fatherhood celebrated with this family, in these images. The care offered with love to show them the world, see it thru their eyes, the years fly by. Thankful to celebrate parenthood and the love of family with this gorgeous crew.

All the love to this beautiful crew! Welcome to Denver! It was an honor photographing your first session in your new city!

Flashback Friday | Clear Creek Family Session | Denver Photographer

Denver Mini Session in the Flowers

This installation just makes my heart sing. Who wouldn’t want their photo taken in this lovely floral array?!

Loved hosting these beautiful souls in this space.

All the love to these beauties!

Floral Mini Mommy and Me and Maternity Sessions!

Omg this set is too gorgeous not to photograph! Sugar Hill Studio is located in Longmont, CO.

An insane amount of florals surround the bed and ceiling to curate a lovely feminine dynamic. Honored to offer this breathtaking backdrop in this limited edition offering.

Legacy Mini Collection - Thirty minute mini session with five files for 325.

Petit Mini Collection - Twenty minute mini session with three files for 275.

IMAGES PROVIDED BY:@sarah_hill

Studio: @sugarhillstudio

Floral installation: @compassrosefloral

Denver Family Photographer | Wash Park

I met the handsome blonde fellow while still in utero and it just makes my heart so happy to see him as a smiling, thriving boy. Tell me this fam isn’t the cutest ever.

I loved our time walking around the lake here in Denver at Wash Park.

All the love to this sweet crew! Thrilled to see you again soon!!

Denver Holiday Minis!

The holiday season is upon us and beautiful family photos are in full effect!! I LOVED this crew, three weeks fresh to Colorado from Cali! I adored welcoming them fully, in style. :)

Tell me these little nuggets aren’t totally the cutest thing ever!?!?

Welcome to Colorado, K fam! I just adored meeting you!!! All the love, J. <3

Andddd meet this lovely crew of three…I met these lovelies over the summer for our session in Wash Park. I just fell in love with this trio. Aren’t they the cutest ever? Totally made my Denver newborn photographer’s heart happy and full.

Tell me sweet little Sedona isn’t gorgeous….prettttty sure I know where she gets it. I wouldn’t be surprised if Mom was a model in a previous life and just hadn’t mentioned it… :)

Tell me these ladies aren’t absolutely total cuteness overload status. It’s such an honor to celebrate motherhood and the connection between mother and child in this way during the holiday season.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays to these three and all the love in the world!!

Andddd meet this sweet party of three. I met this lovely family a few months ago after the arrival of their sweet girl.

Why is it literally the cutest thing ever when babies put their feet in their mouths? I think i said “omg she’s literally the cutest thing ever” basically every 5 minutes during their session…

This time of human development, it’s slightly crazy. ha. The emotions shift so drastically from one moment to the next and a simple shift in energy can make all the difference in the world.

All the love to all the families that joined me for holiday minis this year! It’s something I’ve been wanting to integrate into the season and I’m soo thankful for all the love and support of me and Jessica Jo Photo this year. Thrilled to bring more excitement to all the new Denver parents in 2020!

Meet Liam, one day new, Fresh 48 sessions

I met this brand new crew of three before they made their grand entrance into the world. I just adore Fresh 48 sessions. Meet Liam, one day new.

I loved welcoming this little nugget to the world with these celebratory photos. I met Liam at his residence a week later for a lifestyle session to enjoy and document all that hard work of nursery nesting his parents have been up to!

Liam arrived just before a huge snow storm! On the day of our originally scheduled session date, mother nature delivered us over a foot of snow!

If you follow my blog at all, you know I love integrating the fur babes into sessions, if it resonates with my clients. These two made my heart so happy as they enjoyed interacting with their brand new baby brother.

So Liam’s mom basically has the best taste ever. Not only were we wearing the same style sweater on session day, I adore her color tones and minimalist style.

The whole crew of five!