Meet Pam Kornreich | Elopement Photographer

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

Hi Pam, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I generally view risks as opportunities for growth. For the most part, unknowns excite me more than they scare me. Despite me being very much an over-thinker and worrier in many ways, I tend to be almost too optimistic when it comes to taking risks. The thought of “what if this works out” more often than not trumps the thought of “what if I fail miserably”, and I’ve seen that play out in many areas of my life. Taking risks has played a huge role in my life and career and I absolutely would not be where I am today if I hadn’t dared to take that first step into many unknowns.

When I was 16, I had to make a decision whether to continue on an academic path of higher studies, or enroll in a trade school. (I grew up in Southeast Asia where the education system is quite different from the US.) Back then, the academic path was generally considered a much “safer” path since it would pretty much guarantee a college education, which would then open up more doors for job opportunities. Enrolling in a trade school, on the other hand, was almost taboo in those days – there was a common mentality that students who did this didn’t do well in school and weren’t qualified for higher academic studies. At the time, it was a less desired route since your chances of getting into college were much lower, and job prospects were potentially worse. However, I had a huge interest in media and entertainment at the time, and wanted to dive into this world as soon as I could. So against my family’s wishes, I chose the latter. This path then led to me meeting some of the best people in my life.

At 19, I made the biggest life-changing decision of my life — I decided to enroll in a college in the US. This meant leaving my family and everything I had known my whole life, and moving across the globe by myself. Moving to a place so far from home where I didn’t know anyone – especially being the first in my family to do so – was incredibly scary, but also incredibly exciting! Once I made the decision to go, I was single-mindedly focused on proving to myself that I would make something of this opportunity. While there have undoubtedly been some challenging moments, I don’t regret taking this leap in the slightest.

A few years into trying to work in the entertainment industry and quickly growing disillusioned with it, I was once again presented with a choice of going back to school and pursuing an education in graphic design (something I was very passionate about and had already started working towards), or moving to a different city and working in a completely different field (kitchen & bath design) altogether. Even though I knew nothing of the latter, I ended up deciding to do that. I went from knowing absolutely nothing of this field at all, to being the most confident I’d ever been at work in a span of two years. It was the best two years of growth of my entire life.

I moved back to Los Angeles in 2019, with the intention of growing further in this field of kitchen & bath design that I’d come to love. However, when the pandemic hit and everything became uncertain, I decided to, once again, leap into the unknown of running my own business. Even though this meant having to navigate an entirely new terrain and giving up a stable income, the positives that could come of it – mainly not having my fate lie in the hands of others – far outweighed the negatives in my mind. With a history of taking steps into the unknown and coming out on the other side stronger than before, I was more excited than scared of this jump. I’ve proved to myself that even if I fall, I can pick myself up again, and learn so much along the way. And that potential for learning and growth, to me, is absolutely worth the risk.

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.
I am a photographer specializing in elopements and adventure weddings. It wasn’t long after I started my wedding photography business that I decided to niche down and specialize in elopements, especially after learning more about elopements and what they actually were/could be (thanks to Adventure Instead!). I also loved the idea of spending such a special day surrounded by Earth’s natural beauty, and having mountains and oceans be witness to this sacred commitment. I received a lot of feedback from people close to me that this wasn’t a smart move for my business, that I was picking and choosing before I was even in a place to do so, that it was stupid to turn down a huge segment of the market (i.e. “traditional” weddings), but I believed in elopements so much and felt so strongly about wanting to serve couples who were seeking a more intentional, experience-based wedding day that I decided to rebrand a year into starting my business. It turned out to be one the best things I’ve done for my business.

Ever since rebranding, I’ve found myself most excited to play an integral role in helping couples design their dream day. My main goal as an elopement photographer is to help couples see the potential that their day can have, and to dream big, beyond just a ceremony and some portraits. I want couples to recognize that their day is still incredibly special, even if it’s just the two of them or with a few guests, and to fill it with activities and experiences that are meaningful to them. A day that’s entirely unique to the couple because they were intentional about who and what they included in it. I am most proud when I can help a couple see this potential for an entire day that’s unique and meaningful to them, and then to help them bring it to life is a whole other level of pride and honor.

There are definitely a lot of challenges with growing a business, especially in a saturated market like wedding photography, and especially in a city like Los Angeles. I am still very much in the early stages of my business and have such a long way to go. I often compare my professional journey of running my own business to that of a plane. For the longest time, it felt like I was just sitting on the tarmac waiting to be fueled – i.e. the part when I was offering free shoots or signing up for styled shoots just to get portfolio content. Then there was the matter of getting my work seen amongst the sea of other already established artists in an already overly-saturated market – I was gaining momentum, but very slowly. It was like taxiing to the runway. It can still sometimes feel that way these days, but there are times when it feels like I’m taking off albeit with some turbulence. It can feel a little frustrating when growth is slow, but in a world where so many people are promoting overnight success, I want to remember that there’s nothing wrong with slow but steady growth too. I have faith that eventually (hopefully) I’ll be cruising, and yes, I’ll hit turbulence every now and then, but that’s just part of the journey. I attribute a lot of me overcoming challenges to my faith that there will be a better day, a willingness to fail and learn and grow, and definitely my strong support system.

I’ve learned that not everyone will share your vision and/or views, even the people closest to you. It’s important to be open to criticism and learning opportunities, but also know when to stick to what you feel is right for you. Understanding why I do what I do is incredibly important when it comes to making decisions about how to run my business, and being clear on my convictions and motivations has proved to be invaluable to getting my business to where it is today.

Service is my primary love language. I’ve learned that nothing is more fulfilling to me than when I can be of service to others. I want to help couples in any way I can when they’re planning for their elopement, even if it is outside the scope of photography. I aim to foster a space that is safe, accepting, and encouraging, so that couples may feel safe (i.e. not judged) to emote whatever they may feel. Being of service to others is at the forefront of everything I do, even in the days or months prepping for their session or wedding day. For me, client experience is never worth sacrificing for the sake of creating a pretty photo, and I will prioritize a couple’s experience of their day over anything else – something I strongly encourage my couples to do so as well – because I truly believe that that will translate to producing better art for them.

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.
Beach day at Point Dume & El Matador, Cycling from Playa del Rey down to Manhattan Beach,
See an improv comedy show (especially Improvised Shakespeare – the closest thing to magic I’ve ever seen),
Hike up to the Wisdom Tree in Hollywood at sunset,
Eat at 8oz Poke, my favorite counter-serve poke place ever,
Drive up the Angeles Crest Highway
Visit Big Bear
Visit a National Park (Joshua Tree or Channel Islands)

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My parents, for supporting me in all the wild and hard decisions I’ve made over the years, including moving across the globe.

My partner, Alex, for being incredibly supportive of me when I decided to move to a different city to pursue something I knew nothing about, and especially when I decided to start my own business after moving back. He was very involved in helping me get set up with the gear I need, and being an incredible pillar of support as I learn and grow.

And Jenny Collen, a photographer currently based in WA, who mentored me in the very beginning stages of my business when I was trying to navigate the ins and outs of running a business and handling clients.

Website: www.pamjeannephoto.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/pamjeannephoto

Image Credits
Carrie Rogers Photography (for the photo of me! :))