Meet Jazmine Alexa

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

Hi Jazmine, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
In order to talk about my thought process behind starting Jazmine Alexa Photography, I feel I have to talk about how I found photography and why I fell in love with it. I haven’t always been a photographer, I actually only picked up a real camera for the first time about 2 years ago. I had been working as a medical assistant through the COVID-19 pandemic and found myself needing a creative outlet. After lots of reflection and thinking about what that would look like, I remembered an experience I had when i’d worked with a photographer during a really vulnerable time in my life, she encouraged me to exist where my feet were and made me feel seen in a way id never really experienced before, I thought I might work towards evoking that feeling in others too. Photography was almost an instant passion, not just because I got to be artistic but because of the gratitude I always received from the other side of my lens, no matter the subject, the experience and photos they got out of our sessions always seemed to leave a big impact. My gift seemed to be that by the end of sessions it would feel like i’d been friends with my client for a lifetime and somehow always ended up in deep heart to heart conversation. My love of photography was born when I understood its capacity to produce such a deep emotional response from the people I was photographing. The images I was taking weren’t just pictures; they were priceless, frozen glimpses of a person, family or couple’s essence that would be passed down through time.

Photographing others helped me align my own priorities at the deepest level. Being present and intentional in my life is so so important to me. My thought process behind officially starting Jazmine Alexa Photography is in part a gift from the pandemic, it’s the fundamental understanding that our time here is so limited. I won’t lie, starting a business was super scary because I was choosing to embark on what others told me was an incredibly risky path but the fear of being safe in my “secure” job but forever miserable was far greater than the fear of embracing on the journey of entrepreneurship. It’s so easy to get caught up in the chaos of life sometimes but it’s important to remember the importance of being grounded and being grateful for the people who make everything that much more worth it. We won’t be here forever and that is what drives me in my work. I want to spend as much time as possible making the most of the little bit we have and cultivating a space for my clients to do the same.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Broken down, photography literally means painting with light, how cool is that! Being primarily a wedding and elopement photographer, capturing couples and their essence are the focus of most of my work and is most definitely an art in itself. Wedding photography without a doubt is a specialty, part of the responsibility of that is our bread and butter like knowing how to work with light and understanding the best angles but its also about being able to communicate effectively with your wedding guests and being able to pose the bridal party and groomsmen. It means being a product photographer in the morning and understanding the importance of details in your story, a portrait photographer after your ceremony and an event photographer during your reception. Being a wedding photographer means, being a great problem solver, knowing how to bring structure to unstructured times. I am on a high level of alertness and situational awareness for the 8- 10 hours my couples have me for not just to capture great shots but also make sure my couple has the opportunity to be present and enjoy their day.

As far as what sets me apart, I am often told I give off a really warm energy and have this ability to make people feel welcome. Somehow by the end of every session I end up deep in personal conversation with my clients and while I am grateful to be able to be part of such intimate moments behind my camera I am even more so to have made my clients comfortable enough to open up. To go even deeper, I think that the star of any image is the couple or person. Every couple and person is unique, the same should be true for their photo sessions. Where one couple couldn’t imagine their engagement anywhere else but bustling downtown another wouldn’t be caught dead with a city skyline in their pictures and that is important because their environments contribute directly to how they experience love. For example, a couple who has fallen in love in the city always has the sounds of traffic in their ear and the grungy smell of the city streets in their nose, they love to visit new food places but have that one favorite spot where they grab coffee and breakfast every sunday. This couples session wouldn’t make sense in the countryside, a session in a busy downtown hub and finished off at their favorite food joint would invoke all of their senses and be incredibly meaningful to them. The point of all of that is to say that my work is tailored and personalized to every single story, complete with a personalized playlist;)

Although I am not quite where I strive to be in my business just yet, I am incredibly proud of where I find myself on the journey. I am finally at a place in my business where I have a deep understanding of the community I want to serve and am only taking work I feel I truly align with. While building Jazmine Alexa Photography has been incredibly rewarding so far, it has not been easy. Failure and disappointment have come in all shapes and sizes from being ghosted to being stood up but hardship is an unavoidable and necessary part of growth even in business. The way we handle difficult moments reveal our character. I’ve learned the importance of being deeply connected to my mission and to my art and the importance of relentlessly showing up no matter what.

I think the thing I want everyone who comes across my content and those I get the honor of working with to know about me is that their story means the world and should be photographed that way. I build deep relationships with my clients because it’s critical to capturing the essence of who they truly are and I am so passionate about giving anyone in front of my lens the space to let the most honest versions of them shine, belly laugh, double chin, goofy smiles, happy tears and all.

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.
The possibilities in SoCal are literally endless. I am a big fan of incorporating nature into all of my trips so I’d start off with a hike to the griffith observatory to take in LA’s stunning skyline. There really is no better view of the city! Afterwards I’d head over to La Colombe on Sunset for a craft coffee and a bite from the Yeastie Boys Bagels truck usually parked right around the corner.

Working from the inside out, on day two I’d take in the true hustle and bustle of LA by hitting the callejones, aka Santee alley, right in the heart of the fashion district, to see the latest in fashion and snag the best deals. Once you’ve had your fill, head over to blue bottle coffee on Broadway (you have to try their NOLA style drinks) and cross the street to Grand Central Market for an unmatched pastry from the Donut Man and a breakfast bite from LA local, Egg Slut! Bonus points if you get to hit the local vendor market usually happening on the bottom floor.

As a Latina with roots in LA I’d say you gotta carve out a day to take in the rich hispanic community unique to the city. A fun place to start is Plazita Olvera to check out the artisanal vendors who’ve been selling there for generations, sometimes there are even classic car shows, highlighting LA’s chicano culture. Be sure to grab a raspado and a churro from Don Manuels. They say LA is taco heaven and I’m here to tell you that it is true. You absolutely cannot leave without indulging in at least a little bit of the astounding array of options. It’s really hard to go wrong but if you’re new to tacos, classic asada tacos are always delicious, if you’re feeling adventurous, birria tacos/quesadillas with consome on the side will change your life.

Venturing out a little, Highland Park is one of my favorite places to spend time in the city! Grab some breakfast tacos at Home State and your caffeine fix at Civic Coffee just a few steps over. There are lots of small shops to check out from the Artform Studios record store to perfectly curated flower shop, Lenita By Grita. If you can, it’s worth it to try to catch an intimate concert at the local music venue Jazz is Dead.

I’d round out your trip by stopping in Pasadena on the weekend. While Cali’s retail game is strong, the vintage and thrift markets are next level so making time for thrifting at local shops and vintage flea’s like the iconic “Rose Bowl Flea,” is a MUST. Pasadena city hall is definitely worth stopping by to see before ending your night with a mindblowing wood fired pizza from the Luggage Room Pizzeria on Raymond Ave.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Without hesitation I first have to give a shoutout to my love, Ivan Sarabia. Ivan has been the biggest supporter and rock in my pursuit of building Jazmine Alexa Photography. He’s shown up for me since day 1 when I didn’t even know how to use a camera, on the good days and the bad days and has selflessly supported me not just emotionally through the quiet start of starting a business and getting ghosted…alot, physically after triple header wedding weekends with life saving foot rubs, and financially, working full time hours with an electrical union and gifting me the opportunity to dedicate full time hours to photography. He even offers to come with me to assist on photoshoots when he isn’t working. He is a gem, I will forever be grateful for his presence in my life.

I’d also like to give a big shoutout to Jai Long and his course Six Figure Business Map. Entrepreneurship is not an easy pursuit for anyone but especially creatives. His mentorship and community have taught me so much about the fundamentals of being a creative business owner and has allowed me to serve dream couples on such a deep level.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jazminealexaphotography/