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

Hi Jessica, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Growing up I wanted nothing to do with art. I always thought I was the least creative person. In my high school I was a member of the health academy, where I went and job shadowed at health facilities. My goal was to become a dental hygienist and I was just 2 classes short of applying to a dental hygiene program. After about 3 years of working in a dental office as an assistant, my dad offered to buy me a nice DSLR for my birthday. I became obsessed with finding the perfect camera and my passion for photography started to grow. I soon realized the medical field was not my path anymore. I only wanted to photograph landscapes at the time because the thought of photographing people was very stressful for me. After about 3 months, I started to realize that my landscape photos would be so much better with people in them. My passion for photography grows everyday and I love where my career path is taking me!

What should our readers know about your business?
I got my first DSLR in April of 2020. My dad gifted me a Canon Rebel T7i and I was just using the kit lens (18-55mm). In August of 2020, I had my first payed session and then I officially started Jessica Nicole Photography, LLC in March of 2021. I have now accumulated a Canon 5d mark 3 and 4 other lenses with flashes and multiple camera bags lol. One thing I am so grateful for is photography education corses. I would not be where I am today without the help from other photographers. I’ve had a hard time trying not to compare myself to other photographers who are years ahead of me. I realized I need to be okay with where I’m at and strive to become a better photographer. I love photography so much and I grow everyday. I can’t wait to see where this career takes me!

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.
I live in Laramie, Wy and it is such a fun place! We have so many fun small businesses downtown, lots of hiking and amazing scenic views. I would start off by showing them some of my favorite restaurants and the cute little shops downtown. Some of my favorite small businesses are: The Bent & Rusty, Poppy’s Flowers, Sugar Mouse Cupcake House, The Curiosity Shoppe and Art & Soul Pottery. Then I would travel to the Snowy Range Mountains which are about 45 minutes from Laramie. The best time to go would be the end of September and early October. The aspen trees are unbelievable!! Mirror lake is a must see and has great fishing and hiking. If you were to keep going down highway 130 you would eventually end up in Saratoga, Wy which is famous for their hot springs! I used to go all the time growing up. Next, I would take my friend to Vedauwoo which is near Buford, Wy (20 minute drive from Laramie). There is some awesome hiking spots here as well and the rock formations are insane! I love to go hiking so we would go hiking at the Snowies, Vedauwoo and Happy Jack.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I know this may sound a little cheesy but I want to shoutout my dad. If my dad never offered to buy me my first camera, I would of still been working as a dental assistant. The reason he wanted to buy me a camera in the first place was because I started posting time lapse videos of sunrises and sunsets. He was able to recognize my talent before I even could. Love you dad!

Website: jessicanicolephotos.com

Instagram: @jessicanicolephotos

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessicanicolephotos22

Image Credits
Jessica Nicole Photography

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