Hobby Turns to Career After Wedding Photos Spark Appreciation for Capturing a Moment
http://www.pcwomensjournal.com/articles/6709/1/Hobby-Turns-to-Career-After-Wedding-Photos-Spark-Appreciation-for-Capturing-a-Moment/Page1.html
Ben Pulley
Ben Pulley is a communication student at East Carolina University. By Ben Pulley
Published on 11/23/2011
Student journalist Ben Pulley interviews a local photographer who is finding ways of excelling in her field and giving back to the community.
A full-time East Carolina University student and wife has big dreams for the future, and all she needs is a camera to lead the way.
Jessica Brooke Pulley was married in the summer of 2010 and began a new life as a wife and college student. As a 22-year-old, the Macon, N.C. native was unable to determine a major or field to enter after college life. But, thanks to a love of photography, Jessica found a new career path.
In September of 2010, she started a photography business—Jessica Pulley Photography—as a side job. And, at the beginning of the 2012 spring semester, Jessica will start a new major in the field of business, which will allow her to develop a career in the hobby that has been life-changing for her.
While sitting in her home office wearing businesslike clothes and a delightful smile, Jessica looked very professional. She was also a mirror image of the happy faces on the people in the pictures that covered her office walls. She talked about how she began her photography hobby.
Jessica realized her love for photography when looking through her wedding photos.
“The photographs took me back to that day. I began to see photography as an art and I wanted to be an artist,” Jessica stated.
Within the first year of her business, Jessica has taken pictures for four different weddings. Jessica has also taken senior portraits for several different high school students.
Brooke Craft is a family friend of Jessica as well as an ECU student and asked Jessica to photograph her senior portraits for her 2011 high school graduation.
“She was an absolutely amazing person, and even more importantly, an amazing photographer,” Craft stated in her dorm room wearing her school colors of purple and gold. “I think that when someone is willing to work with you the way Jessica worked with me, it is more than worth your time and money."
Jessica has taken different opportunities to enhance her photography skills. In the coming months, she'll attend a newborn photography workshop with Amy Cook of Amy Cook Photography in Findlay, Ohio, as well as a class with Fresh Photography in Kinston, N.C. The workshops will allow her to learn different photography techniques from professional photographers that will help her to use more skills when completing different photographs.
“Learning from some of the best photographers, whether local or national, is beyond inspiring,” Jessica stated. “My love of photography originated from looking at another’s work and my love continues to grow because I seek out opportunities such as these.”
Jessica has also pursued different ways to give back to the community using her photography.
“Recently I volunteered to take photos at the Dylan Moore Day Celebration in Halifax, N.C., which is an event held annually to honor the life of a young boy who passed away of a rare blood disease,” Jessica stated.
Even though Jessica is still relatively new to the photography field, she has already had several occasions of success. She has been approached by an East Carolina University professor about publishing some pictures in the next textbook the professor plans to write. She will also be traveling to Asheville, N.C. in July of 2012 to photograph pictures for a wedding at the Biltmore Estate home.
(Jessica Pulley is Ben Pulley's sister-in-law.)
Jessica Brooke Pulley was married in the summer of 2010 and began a new life as a wife and college student. As a 22-year-old, the Macon, N.C. native was unable to determine a major or field to enter after college life. But, thanks to a love of photography, Jessica found a new career path.
In September of 2010, she started a photography business—Jessica Pulley Photography—as a side job. And, at the beginning of the 2012 spring semester, Jessica will start a new major in the field of business, which will allow her to develop a career in the hobby that has been life-changing for her.
While sitting in her home office wearing businesslike clothes and a delightful smile, Jessica looked very professional. She was also a mirror image of the happy faces on the people in the pictures that covered her office walls. She talked about how she began her photography hobby.
Jessica realized her love for photography when looking through her wedding photos.
“The photographs took me back to that day. I began to see photography as an art and I wanted to be an artist,” Jessica stated.
Within the first year of her business, Jessica has taken pictures for four different weddings. Jessica has also taken senior portraits for several different high school students.
Brooke Craft is a family friend of Jessica as well as an ECU student and asked Jessica to photograph her senior portraits for her 2011 high school graduation.
“She was an absolutely amazing person, and even more importantly, an amazing photographer,” Craft stated in her dorm room wearing her school colors of purple and gold. “I think that when someone is willing to work with you the way Jessica worked with me, it is more than worth your time and money."
Jessica has taken different opportunities to enhance her photography skills. In the coming months, she'll attend a newborn photography workshop with Amy Cook of Amy Cook Photography in Findlay, Ohio, as well as a class with Fresh Photography in Kinston, N.C. The workshops will allow her to learn different photography techniques from professional photographers that will help her to use more skills when completing different photographs.
“Learning from some of the best photographers, whether local or national, is beyond inspiring,” Jessica stated. “My love of photography originated from looking at another’s work and my love continues to grow because I seek out opportunities such as these.”
Jessica has also pursued different ways to give back to the community using her photography.
“Recently I volunteered to take photos at the Dylan Moore Day Celebration in Halifax, N.C., which is an event held annually to honor the life of a young boy who passed away of a rare blood disease,” Jessica stated.
Even though Jessica is still relatively new to the photography field, she has already had several occasions of success. She has been approached by an East Carolina University professor about publishing some pictures in the next textbook the professor plans to write. She will also be traveling to Asheville, N.C. in July of 2012 to photograph pictures for a wedding at the Biltmore Estate home.
(Jessica Pulley is Ben Pulley's sister-in-law.)