Ruche: A Colorful Winter Engagement

Meet Jessica Claire, a fabulous wedding photographer located in southern California. We recently met up with her to discuss winter engagements and her number one tip was color, color, color. View her favorite Ruche items for a colorful winter engagement and take a peek at her interview below too. ♥

When did you become involved with photography? What do you love most about it?

My father has always had a passion for photography, so growing up, there were cameras and lenses around all the time. For awhile, he and my mother opened up a One Hour Photo, and I loved spending time there looking at the discarded piles of photos that were being adjusted and the negatives drying in the racks. When I got to college, I realized that all the traditional majors sounded a little bit boring to me, especially within the context of the jobs I'd likely be doing when I graduated. That was when I decided to get into photography, and I spent the next four years working for a large wedding photography studio in my area. After graduation, I started my own company and never looked back! I've now been a professional photographer for over ten years.

How would you describe your artistic aesthetic?

I think my aesthetic leans towards clean and modern with an overtone of pretty :) I am always looking for interesting color and contrast to frame the moments I love to capture. I'm most attracted to situations where I can have a beautifully lit (backlighting is my preference) subject crisp and clear with a colorful background to work with.

People typically associate soft colors with winter. What makes you attracted to bright color?

I've just never been one to blend in with the crowd! While soft, muted tones stay in the same palette as traditional winter scenes, I love a pop of color in an otherwise dreary world! I think winter is the BEST time to add a brightly colored scarf, jacket or pair of gloves. It's so easy during winter to feel bogged down and sad when it can be days or even weeks before you see the sun. Wearing something that cuts through that bleak day is enough to make even a gloomy girl smile :)

What is a typical day like for you?

A typical day for me starts at 6 am, which is usually when my five month old baby wakes up! I take care of him in the morning, and then when he goes down for a nap, I WORK! Work for me means returning emails, scheduling calls with clients, organizing album or reprint orders for my production assistant to process, and just generally keeping things running smoothly. Every day, I try to get out to do something fun in the middle of the day, such as have lunch with a client, coordinator, or other vendor, see a friend for a cup of coffee, or take my son for a walk. In the afternoon, I would typically have a shoot for an engaged couple or a family, and then in the evening, I like to spend time with my husband! On weekends, I typically have a wedding one of the days, and the other day is strictly for relaxing. Of course I also make time here and there for online shopping, Pinterest, facebook, twitter and other assorted time wasting :)

Do you ever get to travel to destination weddings?

Yes, I travel frequently for weddings! Just in the last few years, I've traveled to Russia, Canada, Hawaii, Texas, New York, Greece, Mexico, Atlanta, and a bunch of other places. To me, traveling to weddings of all kinds and getting to experience how people of other cultures and religions celebrate is the BEST part of my job. I get to do and see things I would never have gotten to do if I'd followed the line into a more traditional career.

If you're willing to, tell us about Jeff!

Jeff is my favorite person! We have so much in common and so many things we like to do together that he really makes being married fun. Whether it's a spontaneous trip to Vegas, having friends over for dinner or games, or finding interesting offbeat things to do, he's up for anything, any time. It's been especially fun getting to see him become a father, and I can't imagine a better man to have my son be able to look up to. I just adore him!