Meet Jordan Pearson | Travel Wedding Photographer

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

Hi Jordan, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
Let’s just say it is hard to stand out in wedding photography sometimes, especially when you are in a state where there is more than enough photographers to go around. I didn’t start to really see growth, or success, in my business until I really just started doing things I liked that reflected me and my work–or my brand. In wedding photography, your brand becomes you, and the best way to create success out of yourself is to present things that reflect who you are and what you offer. That is why it is so important to be authentic to your work, your inspirations, your personality, and your style. It is my belief that you can only find success in this specific industry by being yourself. People are drawn to what makes you different and what you can offer them as opposed to everyone else. So put yourself out there and brag about those qualities. Your business can only find success when you start to realize that your brand and your business is simply just you and all that you have to offer.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
So my business name is simply named after my first and middle name — Jordan Anne Photography. It was simple to start there because who I am is what my business is. I care about each client, whether they choose to work with me or not. I aim to deliver not only beautiful photos, but a fun experience that doesn’t feel stiff. Where my business is different from others is that I hope that by the end of the day, your face is sore from smiling and your stomach is sore from laughing. Photography doesn’t have to be posed, it just has to be fun and tell your unique story. It has taken me a while to get to where I am at. I started by doing free sessions with friends and gradually making my way into second shooting for friends in the wedding industry. Once I found out weddings and couples were my niche, I realized that I had to do everything in my power to build a business from the ground up. To keep it simple, it was not easy. There are so many hoops you have to jump through as a business owner, and as someone who has never owned a business, I didn’t know where to start.

Luckily, I had friends in the industry who told me what legal documents to fill out first, how to do my taxes, how to keep track of expenses, how to market myself, and how to stand out in an over-saturated industry. I constantly just kept working and asking questions until I felt I could finally stand on my own two feet. I’ve learned in the two years I have been doing this, that you should never ever stop. If you have time to stop, you aren’t giving your business your all. Now I don’t mean burn yourself out to the point of exhaustion and tears and work 24.7. What I mean is never stop learning, trying, failing, creating, resting, and celebrating. Once you let go, the passion for this job can burn out so quickly because it is so easy to become exhausted. That is also why you should never stop resting–giving yourself the days to sit back and become inspired again. Just don’t stop, because once you lost momentum you lose your motivation.

The only thing I want the world to know about about myself and my brand and story is that I do it all for Jesus. I truly want to love people the way he did, and using my talent to bless others is how I try. This business and this brand could not run without Him and his constant goodness. And for those who don’t know Jesus or don’t care to know Jesus, I still will wholeheartedly love you and enjoy celebrating you. But never for one minute will I apologize for my business being about making heaven crowded and glorifying Him. It is great to get to create and to use what I love to bless others, but at the end of the day it isn’t about me. If you ever want to know anything about Jesus and what He has done for me and business, I would love to share.

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.
Of course when you come to Colorado you HAVE to go to the mountains! My top favorite places to eat are Denver Biscuit Company, Dave’s Hot Chicken, any location for The Viewhouse, Homegrown Tap and Dough, Sukiya Ramen, Maggiano’s Little Italy, Flip Side Burgers in Breckenridge, and Avanti’s in Denver. Now going out for drinks there are so many places to go in Colorado, especially in Downtown Denver. I would try and go to Jackson’s LODO across from Coors Field on Friday nights, especially after 9pm because it’s $20 to get in and all-you-can drink well drinks till midnight. For some fun drinks, my girls and I love going to The Rock Wood Fired Pizza in Belmar for their bucket drinks! But you will probably need to share one of those or call up an Uber stat. Now for hanging out it really all depends on what you are feeling in the mood for! You can never go wrong with heading to Rocky Mountain National Park and driving Trail Ridge Road or heading to Estes Park and getting local salt water taffy. Or if you’re like me and you love mini golf, my favorite places to go are Colorado Journey Mini Golf, Adventure Mini Golf and Raceway, or Urban Putt. And not to brag, but I can kick some serious butt at mini golf. If you’re looking for something to do that is completely mind-bending, head to Meow Wolf in Denver and spend hours inside exploring and try not to get lost. I just love going to places that are unique and you can’t find everywhere, and luckily in Colorado you always have something to do. All you need is good company!!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I will 100% say four important people got me to where I am at: Jesus, my husband Joey, and my two mentors and friends in the industry, Gracie Marie Photo and Abbey Rice Photo. Obviously none of this could have been possible without Jesus bringing amazing clients to me and allowing me to even have a passion for photography. I can take absolutely no credit in my gifts, because the Lord is the one who gave them to me. My husband is one of my biggest supporters in my business and has constantly pushed me and encouraged me when I thought about stopping. He has always said that my business was worth more than I was giving it credit for, as well as encouraging me constantly that people would be so lucky to work with me. Those words alone help to push you in an over-saturated market to truly see that what you offer is different and completely worth the hard work.

Now for Gracie and Abbey, these girls were my friends from back in college who already were starting their wedding photography businesses years before mine ever did. Both of these wonderful people took me under their wings, had me second shoot at weddings to gain experience, and would always offer free advice when I was struggling. Without both of them pushing me to experience weddings and to be confident in my talent, I would have never jumped into wedding photography. Even to this day, both of these amazing wedding photographers and friends constantly encourage me, support me, and help me. I am so grateful that two of the most successful Colorado wedding photographers were the ones that pushed me to start my own business and still continue to encourage me to be confident in what I have to offer.

Website: www.jordanannephotography.com

Instagram: @jordananne.photo

Facebook: Jordan Anne Photography

Image Credits
Jordan Anne Photography