Get to know me

I approach family and milestone photography the same way I committed to building my life: I focus on the tiny moments, the sparks of love and joy, and build from them to create something bigger and more beautiful than anyone expected.

My roots are humble. Going as far back as I care to remember, I was left with no choice other than to sink or swim. I won’t bore you with the details, but I left home (and school) at 16, when I got pregnant with my first child, Nicky. Everyone wanted me to choose differently, but something inside of me said I needed to commit to this baby boy. I knew I could handle it, even if our early years were like a trial by fire. The blessing of it all is that having walked through hell, nothing really scares me anymore. In that time, photography was a hobby and a godsend, the escape that helped me survive things I sometimes thought would take me down.

In 4 years, I moved 9 times. I was a fighting to give my son a life better than what I had known, and I knew deep down that this meant achieving more for myself than I believed I deserved. Yet I felt trapped in a string of low wage jobs, so focused on getting by and surviving that I could barely dare to dream for more. This grind can be demoralizing, and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t ever get the best of me. 

In the midst of one of my lowest points, my first love, Nick, came back into my life. I don’t want to say he ‘saved’ us, but through his love, I began to believe in life’s possibilities again. All the hard times began to melt away, at least emotionally, and I began to see the family I had always dreamed of taking shape before my eyes. It was like the sun finally came back out.

It was when our daughter, Alexa, was born that I began to consider photography as more than a hobby. I loved documenting her first years and all the milestones that came with it. Because a happy family and a strong marriage was something I had dreamed of and fought for so hard, all the small things hit me in the gut in just the right way, and those feelings inevitably translated into the images I made. Others began to take notice of the way I captured everyday moments, froze them in time, and made them feel so special. Before I knew it, in 2010, I had built the start of a proper business. Jessica Kripp Photography was born. 

You’d be hard-pressed to find someone as empathetic and compassionate to work with. If you only knew the insane lengths I have gone to, to guarantee my clients a smooth and worry-free wedding day or shoot-planning process, it would actually blow your mind. All those years of parenting and putting others first, has really come to shape my approach to client service.

For many, photography is a vanity profession or a hobby. For me, committing to my clients is my life, and it has GIVEN me my life. Now with a third child, my family is complete. I am able to give so much of my heart and vision to my clients, and in return, that gives my family so much to build from. Sometimes I can’t believe that ‘little ole me’ has done this, and I am so grateful for every one of you who has helped me step into this reality.

I have been so shy and hesitant to share my story, but I think there’s value in knowing what you’re contributing to, who you are investing in when you book me, and how much it means to all of us in the Kripp family.

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