Why JN Photography isn't working for me anymore.. and why I'm happy about it

I've outgrown JN Photography. And I'm so happy about it. Big changes are coming for this little business of mine, and I would love for you to keep reading to learn what's happening and what’s new in my life. 

I remember sitting on my couch, completely stressed out my senior year of college. I thought: 'once I graduate, it'll be easier.  It'll be so much slower and more routine then. It won't be this hard.' I really wish someone who was already in the "real world" had smacked me right then and there. It didn’t get easier, there was even less routine, and it certainly came with its fair share of stress. But with that came a lot of excitement, growth, exploration and joy. 

Now let me be a little mushy, cheesy, nostalgic, what have you, for a minute. I started talking to this really intimidating, talented guy in my class my first semester of senior year and that guy pushed me, my work, and my goals in life more than anyone I have ever met. He hasn't stopped pushing me and challenging me to be better, do more, and chase the dreams that have been sitting in the back corners of my mind, getting comfy and cozy and fat with laziness. His name's Zac Sturgeon. 

Zac and I graduated from Kendall College of Art and Design in May of 2016 with Graphic Design degrees. We packed up our belongings within a couple weeks and moved to big cities: Silicon Valley area for Zac and Chicago for me. Over the course of the three months I lived in Chicago, I had a growing and sneaking suspicion that this was the real deal. After turning down a job offer from my internship to be a digital designer, I moved back to the Grand Rapids I missed so much with no other job offer to return to (sorry for the stress, Mom and Dad). The next week, as I was flying to visit Zac, I was offered a contract design position at Steelcase in Grand Rapids. I spent my month of September exploring Highway One, Yosemite Valley, Big Basin and every small shop in between with Zac, loving every second (you can see some of the pictures in 2016 | A Year in Review). I returned home to begin my job, Zac in tow, since his contract with Critical Mass was ending. We had a solid two weeks in Grand Rapids together before he moved to the Detroit area for his new job as an interactive designer at GTB. He proposed shortly after while we were visiting our favorite place on earth (Up North, for Michiganders, is a place and it makes sense, ok).

Fast forward a year. Hi, how are ya, my name is Jessica Sturgeon. A year of craziness, planning a wedding over FaceTime, adding a LOT of miles to my poor Prius for weekend visits and trying to keep my head above water is in the past. Zac and I were married on September 3rd, 2017 in that crazy magical place called Up North. We roamed the back roads of Canada and added some more miles onto my trooper of a Prius for our honeymoon and we have slowly but surely pieced our lives together to be one. One kitchen to clean, one bed to make and actual real movie nights that don't include the lag from FaceTime. Life is good. But here's the point of the story...

Zac started second shooting for me last year at a couple of my weddings. Being his typical crazy-talented self, he quickly proved to me that "second" should not be in his title. JN Photography isn't a one [wo]man show, anymore. It's a collaboration with my partner. We are so excited to make this transition over the next couple of months. But that doesn't mean just a change in the name and a face lift for the brand. Since we both have an existential crisis trying to choose just one discipline, JN Photography (name pending) is going to be so much more than what I meagerly thought of at the age of 19. But because we don't want to spoil the surprise, please follow along on my Instagram and my Facebook for updates, teasers and also some great offers for 2018. This is truly a passion of ours and we are thrilled to finally initiate what we've been discussing for the past year and a half. 

I'm so excited to begin this next adventure with my partner in crime. He's pretty great. For your viewing pleasure, here are some snapshots from our altogether rainy, Canadian road tripping honeymoon.