Who's J and S?
We built a working relationship with each other managing separate studios for The Picture People. In 2011, Picture People decided to close all of the studios in the triangle and we decided to open our own studio.
We run a studio in north Durham, NC that specializes in children and family photography. We also provide photography services to schools throughout the triangle area.
Jen and Steve created the perfect partnership. Jen handles the design elements, posing colors, etc. as well as being the main contact for customers. Steve handles the technical stuff, cameras, lights etc. as well as the day to day business operations.
Our biggest strength is in providing an environment that is relaxed and comfortable. This makes for great natural looking portraits with authentic smiles. We love what we do and have fun doing it. We want you to have fun too.
We recently added some apprentices to our team. They will be helping us out with our school shoots and will be helping around the studio too. Primarily, they will be hosting monthly events here in the studio where you can get some quick updated pics for an economical price!
Steve
Hi, thanks for visiting our site.
I have been taking pictures for as long as I can remember. My Dad used to have a darkroom in our basement and as a child I would spend time watching him develop pictures. I have always loved photography, whatever I am doing with it, it always reminds me of those times.
I went to college and received my Bachelor's degree in psychology. I spent the first 17 of my adult life working with individuals that had mental illness and developmental disabilities. The last 10 years of that was in a Director of Services capacity. I got a lot of experience about business during that time as well as working with people.
I started my professional photography career working for The Picture People in 2008 and was a studio manager for a few years before Jen and I started J and S Photography back in 2011.
I am a member of several local and national professional photography organizations and am a Certified Professional Photographer through the Professional Photographer's Association. I am dedicated to continuing education, attending seminars, conferences and trainings often through the year. Always striving to better my craft. I could not be happier! It's so rewarding making your passion into a livelihood.
Jen
Hey there,
I'm excited that you're interested in the portraits we create!
I haven't always wanted to be in the photography field, but I love people and I love making them smile. My first real experience with photography was running a one-hour photo lab when I was is college. Amature photographers would drop off their film and want to see their shots asap! I'd chat with them about their photos and I learned a little bit about color balancing, exposure, composition and why film speed mattered.
Working at Picture People is what really sparked my interest in Photography. While still working at the photo lab and going to school, I thought, "hey, I can take on something else." I applied to be a seasonal lab technician at the Picture People to make a little extra money at Christmas time. They didn't let me take pictures yet but, I processed film, printed and framed portraits. While working there, I spent time watching the photographers work. I wasn't interested in the type of camera or lights they were using, I was mostly interested in how they interacted with families and got them to relax for their session. With a quick conversation, they created an atmosphere where everyone was comfortable and the pictures were a biproduct of that experience. I liked the idea of being a part of that so I applied for the staff photographer position and began my journey.