Meet Jennie Campbell | Photographer and Special Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jennie Campbell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jennie, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Finding the balance between work and nature can be difficult, especially when work hours and meeting vary, and weather and temperatures can make a difference. I am a special education teacher as my full-time job, have a side business of photography, and use hiking as a mental health relief from teaching – it helps balance me out. I have been working and participated in so many meetings this summer to prepare for back to school that I have had to find time to “get away”. My job can be hard, especially now that we have gone back to teaching in person during the pandemic. Being in nature, not in front of a screen, has helped ground me, reset and clear my head. You have to find the balance in order to feel successful in your job, your hobbies and in life.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
JCam.Photography was created after several friends and family members suggested I pursue a business in photography to help offset the teacher salary, and because they felt I had a unique perspective to bring to the photography realm. Just as in life, I try to see multiple perspectives in things, and the use of photography helps to bring what you may see or feel in a moment to life. I have been able to partner with several brands and hotels to showcase their services using my creative ideas, as well as bring to light the beauty that our world has to offer – especially through hiking. It has taken time to build a portfolio that I am proud of. While I enjoy the process of taking the pictures, and editing them, I would love to get into more portrait or lifestyles for those other than myself. Although I take a lot of pictures, I still find it interesting that a picture I may not like as much, could be a picture that my followers enjoy the most. I am still going out on adventures each weekend to bring stories about the world back into my classroom to share with my students.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This is a difficult question to answer! The places that I would take them to are not ones that I would tell “out loud” because they are kept secret for a reason! However there are some great Colorado State Parks that I would recommend, Staunton and Roxborough. Of course Red Rocks Amphitheater would be on the list, and would suggest visiting it during concert season. We would visit the Dairy Block area of downtown Denver, have drinks on the rooftop at 52thirty or my favorite SpeakEasy in Cherry Creek. We might paddleboard at Aurora or Rampart Reservoirs, or hike in Beaver Creek or Ouray. We would disperse camp in the mountains, near an alpine lake, where it takes us 2 hours to hike to. We could bag a 14er – but would do one of the less popular ones to really be able to enjoy it.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would love to give a shout out to the Women Who Explore organization. Being part of this organization helped me to become a lover of the outdoor world. Knowing that you don’t have to be a “fit” person to hike, but how it’s about being able to explore the outdoors and enjoy it at your pace. It’s also been a great way to meet new people and find new places to hike in Colorado!

Website: https://www.jcam.photography/
Instagram: @fsupecas21

Image Credits
All photos are mine – JCam.Photography