Meet Jesse Starr | People Photographer

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

Hi Jesse, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I think the biggest thing for me is that, unlike many creatives, I went to business school instead of studying photography. There are many ways to define “success” but if part of it is a financially sustainable business that turns a profit, it’s vital that you understand what it takes to do that. You can be the best photographer, artist, designer, etc, but if no-one is paying you for it or not paying you enough to cover your expenses, it’s hard to make a career out of it.

A really important element of this, particularly in the photography industry, is understanding that the vast majority of people who label themselves professional photographers are not actually running a profitable business. That means that you have to be cognizant of who you look at to emulate or get business advice from. A business mentor of mine calls the average photography Facebook groups “Failure Support Groups” because most of the time, people are complaining about client behavior and looking for someone to tell them that what they did was perfect. The reality is that there are a lot of practices that are common but counter to success. Because creatives don’t tend to have true industry leaders they can look at for best practices, it’s important to A/B test what you do and see what gets the desired outcome. For instance, I’ve tested doing my Design Consultations (aka sales sessions) on a large TV and projecting directly onto a white wall. Sales are better and clients report better experiences for projecting.

Additionally, I really try to think about how I can best guide my clients through the process of investing in portraiture. For most people, they don’t know HOW to buy photography, so it’s my job to educate them. As long as I do what I believe is truly best for them, they have a great experience and good sales follow.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Two Elk Studios focuses on creating photographic experiences that enhance our clients’ lives by celebrating what is most important to them. It starts from the first phone call, which distinguishes us from a lot of photographers who do everything via email. We require a phone call in order to have a person to person interaction on some level. I always try to find out WHY my clients want a portrait session and what they love most about the relationships in their lives. We take this and attempt to carry that feeling into their session and all the way through to photographic Wall Art that fills their homes with a reminder of those special emotions.

All of our clients receive an in-person Design Consultation, either in our design theater at the studio or through a screen share when they’re back home if time during their vacation doesn’t allow it. We never leave people alone to figure out what to do with their photographs. Instead, we guide them through selecting their favorites and together, we design any artwork and prints they would like. This is a favorite part of the experience for many of our clients because they get to see what their photographs will look like at full size.

At the end of the day, we want our clients to be able to walk into a room and light up when they see photographs that bring them back to something that they absolutely love about the special people in their lives.

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.
Some of my i-70 mountain corridor favorites:

– Cycling the bike path through Glenwood Canyon
– Experiencing a concert at the Ford Amphitheater in Vail, such as the Bravo Vail series, which brings world-famous symphonies to the mountains for outdoor performances
– Mountain biking the Everkrisp trail from Eagle-Vail to Minturn
– Hiking the Grouse Creek trail in Minturn
– Having breakfast at Bread and Salt in Frisco and relaxing on a boat in Lake Dillon reservoir with beautiful mountain views

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Ben Chrisman (chrismanstudios.com) is a world renowned photographer who I owe a lot of my success to. He has been a friend and mentor for years and has always been there to bounce ideas off of and share his knowledge and experience. His career has evolved over time and he’s been so generous with the lessons he’s learned. He also introduced me to a photography business coach named Steve Saporito (https://stevesaporitoeducation.com), who really opened my eyes to providing an elevated experience for clients and REALLY caring about them and what is important to them.

Website: twoelkstudios.com

Instagram: twoelkstudios

Other: Our commercial advertising photography company Jesse Starr Productions can be found at: https://www.jessestarrproductions.com

Image Credits
Headshot by Ben Chrisman