Jenny-How did you become a photographer?

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“How did you become a photographer?” I get that question a lot.

Here is the short answer:
I worked at a Kodak store.
Got in touch with a photographer that needed an assistant.
Worked there for several years then started freelancing.
Gave it up for a while but then thanks to internet I found my way back  to photography and evolved my profession with help from the fun world of blogging.
Now I work as a full time photographer and I actually don´t feel like I´m lying anymore when I introduce my self as the photographer Jenny Brandt.

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Here is the long version:
When I started working as a photographers assistant (polaroid above) in the late 90´s my employer told me. “anyone with a camera can call themselves a photographer”.
But even though it sounded simple there was a big “…but” hanging there. I could feel it.

For me going to photography school was never an option. So desperately sick of school. When I was hired as an assistant I was thrilled and thirsty for knowledge. “How can you get things to look this tasty?” I asked looking at two guys kissing in a David LaChapelle Diesel ad or at a Annie Leibovitz photo of Whoopi Goldberg dipped in milk. (By the way I called Diesel – begged them to send me some of LaChapelles ads. And they did, in fact they sent me so many that I wallpapered my whole bedroom with them)

We were two assistants and two photographers in one really big building with 3 studios. Next door to us was a photo retouching business. (Guess who worked there ? Yes Jens did.)

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This was actually the first studio in Malmö who invested in digital photography. This was a big big deal back then and very interesting to be a part of. They worked hard and aced the advertisement deals they got. And I started taking on work on my own however I never felt comfortable  in the world of advertising. Never. So I quit both my job and the profession all together and started working in a home decorating store feeling that I did not really want to work as a photographer anymore.

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Time passed. I wrote the lyrics to Holy Diver on Jens bed sheets (above) and he asked me to move in. I rarely photographed. We played Halo and decided we wanted a family. Had Viola. Bought a vintage pram, strolled around Malmö talked about how we wanted our life to be. Bought our house and a Volvo. Started taking pictures again, of Viola and our renovating. One day over breakfast Jens said. “You should start a blog?”
” A what?” I asked and searched “how to start a blog?” in AltaVista (before I had  google).
I started my first blog later that day. And then another one. And then this one with Isabelle.

dosfamilt-jenny

I decided to kick start my business back up and started taking on work. I ran the blog on the side and slowly started to realized that I could shape my own version of what a photographer is. Slowly but surly the clients started to book me and thanks to the blog they know what to expect of me. I´ve realized that I´m the trail and error kind of person. I´m not really that scared of failing at things in the quest of becoming good at them. I´m happy to say that finally after many years I feel comfortable introducing myself as photographer Jenny Brandt. Which is a really nice feeling.

laser

This is the story of how a person with a camera started calling herself a photographer.

 

18 Comments

Join the discussion and tell us your opinion.

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Stacey
September 19, 2014 at 14:52

LOVE this story….and your photography (I follow you on Instagram too). I also love the honesty in your writing. Way to be you. ;)

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Jenny Brandt
April 8, 2015 at 11:31
– In reply to: Stacey

Stacey! Thank you so much. Such a nice comment.

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Heidi
September 19, 2014 at 15:33

Loved this! Sometimes things make more sense when you share with the history.
Tak for at dele med os! Kram

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Jenny Brandt
April 8, 2015 at 11:33
– In reply to: Heidi

Heidi!

yes, sometimes it does.

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Magdalena
September 19, 2014 at 16:47

It’s a wonderful story:)
Thank you!

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Matilda
September 19, 2014 at 19:17

Härlig, fantastisk och inspirerande berättelse! Tack!

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Isabelle
September 20, 2014 at 08:54

Så mycket älsk på detta inlägg! Puss

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enannanhelena
September 20, 2014 at 13:42

Bilden på dig vid datorn/bordet Jenny, mmm, håret, glasögonen – ja allt!

Kul att få the background-story så här. Från assistent-puppa till fullfjädrad fotograf-fjäril! Heja!

/helena

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kollijox
September 20, 2014 at 16:37

sjukt impad och inspirerad,en dag kanske jag också vågar frilansa.

Kram
Jennie

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Mette
September 20, 2014 at 19:13

Kul att läsa din historia! Jag var hårmodell åt Larsson & Lange i Malmö, 2004 tror jag, och då fotades jag av en kille som hette Jeff (?). Bilden redigerades så att jag såg ut att vara en jakttrofé på en sköld. Kan det ha varit samma studio som ni jobbade på (där ni träffades)?

Har förresten lördagsmys och lyssnar på favoriten Dosfamily Love på Spotify. Vill ha fler låtar!

Ha en bra kväll ❤️

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Jenny Brandt
September 26, 2014 at 08:37
– In reply to: Mette

Mette!

AHa, men nej det var inte den studion.

Vad skoj att du gillar spellistan. borde göra fler.

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kollijox
September 21, 2014 at 03:53

glömde säga, leta fram dina snickarbrallor! själv skaffade två overaller igår, mitt favoritplagg :)

Tänk att vi skall ses snart. Jag blir glad av bara den tanken.

/jennie

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Jenny Brandt
September 26, 2014 at 08:38
– In reply to: kollijox

Kollijoxan!

Ja det ska sanerligen bli trevligt.
Får man lov att fråga vart du hittade snickarbrallor?
Jag vill ha ett par svarta, men hittar inte..

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Sara
September 22, 2014 at 22:49

Thank you so much for sharing your story, Jenny.
I love your photography – your style, your ‘eye’. Playful. Brilliant.

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Helena
September 24, 2014 at 09:33

Å fint!

(Ibland saknar man lite tiden då man var helt fast i Halo.)

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kollijox
September 27, 2014 at 19:33

kolla på Monki!

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Maren Ingeborg Gråblomst
April 25, 2016 at 14:31

Så bra du linket til denne, den hadde jeg ikke fått med meg. Herlig å lese, interessant historie. Og jeg liker at du virker ærlig og direkte, det gjør at det blir fint å lese alt du skriver :)

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Jenny Brandt
April 26, 2016 at 09:11
– In reply to: Maren Ingeborg Gråblomst

Tack Maren. Så fint sagt. TACk