Jill Frasier Photography

Jill Frasier Photography: Adventures in Entrepreneurship

Jill Frasier, a 2013 graduate from Hillsdale with degrees in English and Art, moved back to her hometown in Maine after graduation. Since then, she’s started her own business, Jill Frasier Photography. Her work is highly sought-after in the Southern Maine regions for weddings, portraits, engagements, and she now works as the main photographer for Bliss Boutiques in Portland, Maine (www.blissboutiques.com). A few weeks ago we interviewed her about her journey and the struggles she went through to start her own business.

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When did you first fall in love with photography?

My father and I spent time every weekend walking in the woods together as I was growing up. He’s a very talented photographer, and he quickly passed his interest and passion along to me. He’s very technical, and I am more feelings-driven, so his input and advice kept me balanced. Around age 13, I brought my camera along to my aunt’s wedding. Some of the photographs from that day are still some of my favorite pictures I ever taken. I fell in love with story-telling through images and that feeling never went away. 10849773_1475252182730911_8396884013785458706_n

How did you start your business?

A couple contacted me my junior year of college and asked me to photograph their wedding. The job was the perfect catalyst to start my business. Additionally, senior year as an art major laid a great foundation to starting a business, and I am very thankful for the advice the art professors imparted on our class. By the time I graduated, I had a website, business cards, a general understanding of starting a small business and the summer season lined up with both assistant photography jobs, and weddings I had contracted on my own. It was a “learn-as-you-go” process, but I loved every minute of it. Now that I’m consistently growing my business, and also working full time as a photographer for a retail and online business, I look back on that time of growth and uncertainty fondly and value the time I had to wade through the chaos.

How did being at Hillsdale inspire you to start your own business?

I believe the spirit of Hillsdale is a fiercely innovative and independent one. That spirit, coupled with tools my professors gave me for post-graduate life, gave me the confidence and knowledge to move forward.  

Have you had to make sacrifices to start doing this? If so, how did you get through them?

For the first year out of college, I was seeking substitute teaching jobs, secretarial work, and babysitting to make ends meet. It was difficult to leave college and watch my peers dive headfirst into established companies in their fields. Money was tight, and I was uncertain whether the photography would move forward or not. There was a lapse of time where I felt I wasn’t living up to my “Hillsdale-graduate potential”, but it was a necessary leap of faith. Without the time to build my website, solidify my business plan, network with photographers, and refine my craftsmanship, my business would have been unstable. The most helpful way to get through this in-between time was speaking with the photographers I respected and admired. I am lucky enough to know incredibly talented and giving photographers who have shaped who I am as a photographer.

There is no way I could have projected when I was going to get assistantship offers, or start booking weddings. A creative job requires a great deal of flexibility and passion, otherwise the uncertainty can become overwhelming. Three years ago, I had never taken photos in a professional setting. This year, I am booking weddings up to a year and a half in advance, filling all available dates, and photographing across the states. One of the most rewarding aspects of my photography business has been photographing couples I know through my time spent at Hillsdale College. There is a sense of comradery between Hillsdale graduates that I find very inspiring, and it is a community I am proud to be included in.

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