Meet Jasmine Walker | Photographer and Business Owner of J. Lorraine Photography, LLC

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

Hi Jasmine, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk is something that I take into account daily as a full time military member. Last year in the Fall, I deployed to a combat zone in Saudi Arabia- this also happened to be during my first year as a business owner. I know how critical the first year of business ownership is, and putting it on hold for 4 months, I knew there was a possibility that my business would not survive or be successful. In spite of having to put my photography on hold for the time being, I stayed active on my social media accounts and engaged with past and potential clients the entire time that I was gone. I returned and jumped right back into my business without missing a beat.

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 think the biggest thing that I’m proud of in regards to my career, is that I launched a business and maintained it’s success in the middle of pandemic, post pandemic, during a deployment- all while juggling being a hands on Mother and full time Airman. Time management, structure, and organization are key factors in how I make both my military career and my photography company run smoothly and simultaneously, without missing a beat. I am able to wear all hats, without any help, and still be in love with what I do every single day. My brand is my name, and that means everything to me. I stay true to my authentic self and my style of photography, no matter what is popular or trending right now and that is what attracts my clients and keeps them coming back. Providing quality work, giving 100% to my clients, professionalism and enjoying the process along the way is what is going to keep me successful in this business for the long haul.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
What isn’t there to do in DC?! The good thing about my best friend and I- we go with the flow and let the day, vibes and energy determine what moves we’re going to make. We’d probably end up googling some spots the day of and decide what we’d want to do on a whim, but a few I can think of is brunch at Park and 14th, a Nationals game, and Rosebar. One thing that I know for sure that we’ll be drinking, however, is Malibu and Ciroc!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First and foremost, my son, Elijah Houston- he is the reason that I bought a Canon Rebel T5 seven years ago and fell in love with photography. I started out as a hobbyist, photographing him in sports. Secondly, my support system is huge. My closest girlfriends and family members, saw talent in me and saw me going far with photography before I could see it myself. They pushed me for years to start a business and charge for my work, but I wasn’t ready at the time. The turning point for me, was in 2019 when my friend, Brittany Ford, asked me to take her maternity pictures. I was skeptical because I hadn’t picked up a camera in years and I kept asking her if she was sure- she told me that there was no one else she’d rather have take them. After her shoot, we were blown away- her photographs came out gorgeous. After that, the rest was history. Everyone came to me for maternity photos from that point on and that blossomed into what my business is today.

Website: www.jlorraine.photography

Instagram: j.lorrainephotography_

Facebook: J. Lorraine Photography

Image Credits
Cory Mack Blessman