Tell us about yourself and your company.

Jenna Walcott Photography is a full-service studio located at on West Street in the heart of Annapolis. I am a mother and a passionate artist specializing in Weddings and Styled Portraits. With a focus on art and the use of light, my style aims to capture, with a natural approach, all of the great and remarkable moments of my client’s lives by creating images that evoke emotion. I’m so thrilled to be serving the Maryland area locally, having finally returned to my home town after over 16 years!

How did you find yourself in the wedding industry?

Honestly, it was serendipity. My concentration in college was Fine Art Photography but when I graduated I went directly in to Photojournalism – which I loved with an equal amount of passion. I think I worked to marry those two styles and approached it in my own work for years. I took a professional break from photography after an arduous project with a leading area photographer and focused my career in the creative industries, however, not behind the lens and in a more commercial environment. After nearly a decade, I found myself drawn to what wedding photography had evolved into – it was becoming an artful genre that was full of storytelling, just like the two areas of photography that had captured my heart in the beginning. Today I feel like weddings give me the perfect environment to create the kind of imagery that moves me – emotional, authentic, documentary and stylistic – while creating timeless memories for my clients. A perfect “marriage,” no pun intended!

Photo Credit: Jenna Walcott Photography

What inspires you or your work?

I think it’s easy to get into the habit of looking at other photographers – or other photographs – and have them infiltrate your creative psyche. I find when you’re constantly looking at photographs, you’re more prone to imitate what is already out there. Most of what I use as inspiration for my work – whether it is for clients or personal projects – comes from cinema, music and other forms of art. For me, photography is about harnessing light and emotion. I always say that a great photograph not only captures the moment visually, but if it’s really moving it will capture what it FELT like to be there. Cinema & Music are two things that transport people to a different time and place, so I use the same principles in my work. I think about how something would effect you if you were engaged in a movie or heard a familiar song and try to create that same sense of drama in my images.

What do you love about working weddings?

Weddings are a total rush – you’re challenged every second of the day. Whether it’s the weather, the ever-changing environments, problem solving on-location, searching for the good light and being constantly aware for the moments that are always about to unfold, it’s the kind of job where nothing could ever get boring. You are invited into an incredibly intimate event in the lives of couples who are entrusting you with their day – and that is really a great honor. I love knowing that years down the road the children of these couples may look at their album and my photos of their parents will become an iconic image for them of their youth. That they will know the happiness that existed before they were born. It’s really awesome, actually! But, another aspect of weddings is the wonderful community of supportive professionals. I feel pretty confident that there are few industries that can boast the kind of camaraderie that wedding photographers can, and I’m proud to be a part of it.

Photo Credit: Jenna Walcott Photography

What’s your favorite part about a wedding?

There are a few. First, I love getting the gown shot. It sets the tone for the day for me – and when I arrive at the bride’s location I always carve out time to focus on the details before moving onto shooting the “getting ready” portion. My time alone with the gown gets me in the zone and jumpstarts my creative juices. . Once I nail that shot, I’m ready to conquer the day! Obviously, every photographer loves the part of the day where they get to be creative with the bride & groom for the portraits and I absolutely savor that portion of the day. But, as a parent myself, I find myself often watching the Mothers and Fathers of the couple – and the elderly immediate family. I feel as though they (maybe more than any other) are holding so much emotion in their hearts on this day – pride, joy, nostalgia – that they draw me into the bigger story of the family and the couple themselves. I have yet to photograph a wedding when I haven’t teared up during the parent dances watching the history of those relationships come to the surface. Every wedding day holds within it a million stories and is a complex fabric of new love stories interwoven with love stories past. Getting a peek into that and finding a way to artfully capture it is an immeasurable joy.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your field?

Hindsight is always 20/20. When you’re photographing on the spot all day long – with a million surprises thrown at you, it’s easy to look back and kick yourself for not seeing an opportunity that you may have missed. But each time you encounter a new event, you are constantly strengthening your sight and primed to create even greater images than your last ones. I have learned to trust my instincts and when all else seems to be too challenging, just follow the light.

Photo Credit: Jenna Walcott Photography

A good piece of advice for brides and/or grooms to be.

Remember to be a guest at your wedding – and enjoy the day. Don’t be over-concerned with the photos or the timeline. Someone will always be there to remind you whether we are on schedule or falling behind. Not everything may go exactly according to plan, but it will without question be the most amazing day of your life. You only get to have this day once – so when the chaos sets in, look at your other half and let them remind you the real reason you have come here together. Everything else is gravy.

Jenna Walcott Photography is a talented member of the Charm City Wed Collective.