Meet Jenna Rice | Photographer and storyteller.

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

Hi Jenna, what principle do you value most?
I really value compassion, authenticity, and courage. I think they are important to running a good business as well as being an good person in life.

Compassion helps me to connect to people and image what it’s like to be in their shoes. It’s challenging for many of us to feel comfortable in front of the camera, it can be a very vulnerable experience getting your photo taken. That’s why it’s my job as a photographer to find compassionate, authentic ways to connect with my clients, so that they can relax and feel comfortable letting their unique essence shine through in their portraits.

Courage is also important for anyone who chooses an artistic path to have. It’s a courageous act to follow your passion even if it often means a life without stability or grantees. But the satisfaction of following your passion and letting creativity flow through you makes it all worth it.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
A good portrait photographer is about being able to connect with people. My job is to create a comfortable environment where people can let their guard down and truly be themselves in front of the camera. I want the people I photograph to feel truly seen. When they get their photographs I want them to be shocked at how amazing they look. I feel lucky that taking people’s portraits comes easy to me after many years of experience, but when I first started out it wasn’t so easy. I was really shy and mistakenly thought I could just be an observant “fly on the wall” when I took people’s photographs. Years of experience has helped me to be less shy, now I really love connecting with people.

Currently, I see myself more as the director/artistic director of the photo shoot, guiding my client through the techniques I’ve developed to help them relax and let their essence shine through in the portraits. I feel confident in my skills and am happy to have so many loyal clients that come back year after year to get their portraits taken – loyal clients is always the best compliment.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I had a friend visiting for a week, I would definitely take them to Red Rocks if there was a good show playing. Red Rocks is a national treasure that we have it right here at our doorstep. We are also blessed to be surrounded by beautiful mountains, so I would take them hiking – either at Eldorado Canyon State park or Rocky Mountain National Park for one of my favorite hikes. Denver has so many great restaurants and nightlife. A couple of my favorite restaurants to eat at are Linger and Root Down. If it’s summertime and a Sunday, I would take them down to hang out at Jazz in the Park and eat ice cream from one of the many good ice cream trucks there. Denver Botanic Gardens is always a great place to take visitors too. Levitt Pavilion has some great free shows in the summertime and is a nice place to take a picnic and see music. I’d also take my visitor to see a good independent film at the Sie Denver FilmCenter. Too many more fun things to mention, but that’s a start!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My sister, Traven Rice is an inspiration to me.

Website: https://www.jennaricephotography.com

Instagram: @star_ezence

Image Credits
Portrait of Jenna Rice taken by Art Heffron. All other photos taken by Jenna A. Rice.