New Year, New Goals: Embracing Change and Celebrating Roots
The first month of the year—yay! There’s something so refreshing about a fresh start. I absolutely love the wave of positive energy that comes with it. While I didn’t spend a ton of time behind the camera this month, I actually accomplished a lot.
Big Changes in My Photography Journey
If you caught my December blog, you might remember I hinted at some changes I’ve been considering for my photography journey. After a lot of thought, I’ve decided to start transitioning away from focusing solely on rodeo and barrel racing photography. Instead, I’m diving into portrait and wedding work. These types of shoots feel so creatively fulfilling—something I’ve rarely experienced at rodeos.
Don’t get me wrong—rodeo photography has been an incredible part of my journey. It’s where I honed my skills and built my business. But if you’ve ever worked in a repetitive niche, you know how easy it is to feel a little stuck. The fast-paced, creative storytelling opportunities in portraits and weddings have been a breath of fresh air for me, and I’m beyond excited to explore this new direction.
A Big Goal for 2025: Booking Five Weddings
Now, it might be bad luck or whatever to share goals, but I’ve set a big one for myself this year: fully embracing this transition and booking five weddings. I know, I know—the number might sound small. But when you’re starting from scratch in the wedding industry like I am, getting couples’ attention can feel like an uphill battle.
Luckily, TikTok came through in a big way. Around the beginning of the year, I posted about my wedding packages as part of a cute little trend. Honestly, I thought, What the hell, let’s give it a shot. And let me tell you… 300,000 views and 100 inquiries later, I think it’s safe to say we’re heading in the right direction!
Little screenshot just showing how many people came to my website just from TikTok over the span of a DAY! CRAZYY
Still in the Arena: A New Rodeo Partnership
Okay, okay! Enough about weddings—let’s talk RODEO! I feel like I’ve been a little negative about it lately, but the truth is, I wouldn’t be where I am without it. This year, I’ve cut down my rodeo load considerably—from 30+ rodeos to about 15. Most of these are coming from a new association I’m thrilled to work with: Legends 37 Youth Rodeo, one of the fastest-growing youth rodeo associations in Mississippi!
When I got the call to shoot for them, I was over the moon. It’s such an honor to document these moments for the parents and young contestants. I even got a wonderful introduction to the crowd during their 2024 awards ceremony! The turnout was incredible, and it was inspiring to see all the hardworking kids and their supportive families. I also had the chance to meet many of the contestants I’ll be capturing this year, and I can’t wait to get started.
A few of the gorgeous buckles that were given at the awards ceremony! Why didn’t I ever win one that had turquoise in it???
The First Rodeo of the Season
The very next weekend was their first rodeo of the season. Leading up to it, the week was cold—like snowing-in-south-Alabama cold, which is practically unheard of! The weather felt surreal, and it definitely set the tone for a memorable start to the season. Anyway, I made the long drive over to Columbia, dodging patches of ice through Alabama. Thankfully, the ice had cleared by the time I got to Mississippi, though the frigid temperatures stuck around.
My dog, Benji, REALLYYY loved the snow!! He had the best time!
The last time I was at the Columbia arena was… 2021? I think. My first full year of shooting junior high and high school rodeos. Back then, I was too nervous to even step into the arena to take photos. Oh, how things have changed!
One of my photos from the archives of 2021! Not even a bad photo, but I can see a lot of little technical errors that little Jess didn’t even know about at the time.
Upgraded Gear, Better Photos, and a New Hand on Deck
ANYWAY, being familiar with this arena, I knew the lighting sucks. Like, really sucks. It might look fine to the naked eye, but on camera? Different story. Thankfully, I’ve upgraded quite a bit since that freezing day in 2021. I packed my strobes, grabbed my new lens, and hit the ground running to capture some killer shots.
I even brought along a new hand, Kelsi! She worked with me the entire day and was a trooper through the cold and dusty conditions. Even managed to convince her to get behind my camera a time or two.
Kelsi on the camera during barrels!!
Looking Ahead to February!
I’m already so excited for February—you guys are NOT ready for what I’ve got coming! Let’s just say it’s going to be a "show jumping" good time!
