Tuesday, September 7, 2010

meet and greet Jamie Schultz






We are thrilled to welcome Jamie Schultz to the Savvy blog! She is such a sweet and gracious person whom we are lucky to call a friend. She is one of those people that you are instantly drawn to...her personality is charming and sweet...very sweet!


I also think she is a fabulous designer and creator. After the interview and studio tour, you will probably agree. Enjoy~






Welcome Jamie!


Tell us about your style of photography?


My style of photography could best be described as honest and emotive.





What inspires you as a photographer?


Authenticity.





When you're not photographing, where can we find you?


In the kitchen. Ever since learning that 1 in 3 children born after the year 2000 will be diagnosed with Type II diabetes (directly influenced by eating habits), cooking whole and nutritious foods has become a high priority. Thankfully I really enjoy the process of finding and trying new recipes!





Any books that inspired you {or helped you} in your business?


The Sound of Paper by Julia Cameron has been a constant source of inspiration for me. She really helped me understand the ebb and flow of the creative process. Prior to reading her book I would get so frustrated when I would experience a creative lull...now I embrace it!





Tell us about the studio?


The studio is really a work of passion. When I took ownership of the space it was important to me not to simply fill the space with "stuff". I wanted to use elements that had meaning and character. Many of the pieces in the studio are items that were salvaged locally. The turquoise chairs at my desk were salvaged from a 1940's supper club, the curtains on my display wall are from an old movie theater built in the 1930's, the colorful doors in my shooting space came from old farm houses in the area. It was quite a process pulling the studio together (it took a little over 6 months), but to me it was worth the effort!





Do you feel having a studio has made your business grow?


Absolutely! Working out of my home was a distraction both to my family and to my business. Now that I have a space outside of my home I am able to focus on my business 110% while I'm at the studio. My business runs more efficiently now than it ever has before.





Why do you feel you are so successful?


I believe one of the reasons my business has grown to the level it has is because of my interaction with my clients. It is important to me that I understand my clients expectations going into each session. This allows me the opportunity to plan ahead and capture images that will work well for whatever they have in mind for displaying the images. If I went into each session not knowing how my clients planned to display their images whether it's a wall display, album, image box, etc... I feel like I would be doing them a disservice.





What line of work did you do before photography?


I was a high school history teacher. (My studio decor probably makes more sense now, eh?!)





How do you manage to balance family life and work?


I am mama to two young boys who will always be my top priority. In order to balance the demands of my business with my family life I had to establish very strict boundaries. My studio hours are set up in such a way that I have ample opportunity to manage my normal workflow and handle any unexpected issues that might arise. I purposely built in two extra hours a week to handle the "unexpected".





For those photographers struggling with whether or not to sell digital files, what advice would you give?


Digital files are in high demand these days. I'm not opposed to selling digital files since I believe they provide clients with an opportunity to store the images from the session digitally as a safeguard. Having said that, anytime I sell digital files it is always in addition to large prints and/or albums.





I'm a big fan of Jamie Schultz Designs. How did that come to be?


Thank you! I was designing cards, albums and other products for my own portrait clients and when I showed them to my photographer friends they wanted to use them too. Anytime I created something for my own client I put it into a folder and soon I had enough to fill my store front. Designing is something I am passionate about and I love hearing feedback from my design clients on how my designs have helped them grow their own businesses.





What's your ideal getaway?


Anywhere with my husband and boys...ideally in a location that gets no cell or internet connection. :)





Favorite thing in your closet?


I'm sure some of my friends reading this are waiting for me to select a single pair of shoes here. (I'm a bit of a shoe fanatic to put it mildly.) However, my favorite thing in my closet is a box of treasures I've collected from both sets of grandparents. There are too many trinkets in the box to list but included are one of my grandpa's WWII medals, old photos of my grandparents from their younger years, and random memorabilia that I could never part with.





If you weren't a photographer, what would you be?


A pediatric nutritionist!





WHAT’S YOUR… Savvy indulgence?





Sheer Addiction jewelry. The one-of-a-kind pieces all have a story and a little piece of history wrapped into them. I rarely leave home without one around my neck.





Current reading material?


Are you sure you want to go there?! I'm a self-proclaimed readaholic so today's "current reading material" will be old news by tomorrow. Here's a few on my "must-read" list though...


The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America


Sarah's Key


The Book Thief


Tell us your proudest moment of your career?
I delivered a coffee table book to a family of a young boy who was dying of cancer. The family was so very grateful, but the part that got me was when the grandma of the young boy approached me at the funeral to say that after I left the dad broke down in tears and said that he could never receive a more meaningful gift in all of his life. That moment will be with me forever and serves as a constant reminder that what I do is bigger than just pictures on paper.


{The Studio Tour of Jamie Schultz Photography}





{Images of the incredibly popular card designs from Jamie Schultz}



Jamie Schultz Designs is giving the savvy readers a special discount!




Use the code savvy10 to receive $10 off a purchase of $50 or more from their store.


{make sure to check back tomorrow...hint...hint...it's a giveaway from Jamie}









12 comments:

  1. I love Jamie Schultz!! I "knew" her back in the beginning stages and she has always been such a super sweet person. I have loved watching her blossom into this huge designer and photographer. Love all her work and designs, of which I have many! Congrats on being featured Jamie!

    ReplyDelete
  2. [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by danaohlsen, savvyphotographer. savvyphotographer said: RT @thesavvyphoto meet and greet Jamie Schultz http://bit.ly/cinklu [...]

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  3. Just tweeted.....LOVE Jaime Schultz!!!

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  4. Posted a link to your website here! http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=576830780

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  5. just facebooked!!! love you and jamie!

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  6. Very inspiring to read about Jamie. I love the photog interviews on your site. Jamie, love those heels!!!

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  7. LOVE Jamie Schultz!!!! Great giveaway...thanks for the opportunity!!!! Oh...and LOVE the new blog!

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  8. Hello,

    A fellow student from BYW. Had to stop here after reading in the forum that you blog full-time. Wow! Your blog is beautiful and ultra-professional. I am especially loving this feature since I always enjoy reading about creative moms. Also really enjoyed that beautiful office space in the post above. Thanks for the inspiration.

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