Meet Jennings Bowden | Photographer + Videographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jennings Bowden and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jennings, what principle do you value most?
As adventure elopement and wedding photographers, we spend a lot of time outdoors photographing couples exploring State and National Parks. It’s a huge privilege to be able to enjoy such amazing public lands (National Parks, State Parks, National Forests, Wilderness Areas, BLM lands, + more) and use them as a backdrop for celebrating your wedding day or engagement! With that, comes the responsibility for all of us to respect the land and to keep it looking amazing. That way our couples can go back to the exact spot in 10, 20, or 50 years, and it will still look and feel the same as when they said their vows. This is why ING Studios practices Leave No Trace ethics and became official Leave No Trace Aware Photographers. So, what is Leave No Trace (LNT)? Simply put, it’s a set of ethics & minimum impact practices we should follow in order to enjoy AND protect the outdoors at the same time. LNT focuses on educating people how and why to protect the outdoors. Learn more at lnt.org

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am an oil paint artist who fell absolutely in love with telling stories through photography and videography. I started ING Studios to combine my need for adventure with my passion of meeting new people and hearing their stories. “ING” originally was my pseudonym for signing paintings and other artworks. JennINGs. Get it?!

Now, ING is all about capturing the moment. Just like when you add -ing to a word, our work brings life and action to your memories. Looking back at your images pulls you right back into the moment: tears rolling down your face, laughing until your stomach hurts, or dancing like nobody’s watching.

ING wholeheartedly believes in creating quiet moments on your wedding day. Everyone says the day flies by so we make sure you have a few minutes to yourselves to soak it all in. The big question we ask each of our couples is, “if you could do anything on your wedding day, what would it be?” Then we make sure you do! There’s always time to do exactly what you want on the best day of your life! Break traditions, keep traditions, or combine traditions. Choose whatever feels the most like you, and we will help you bring your vision to life!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If I was taking a friend around Atlanta we’d of course have to go to the Aquarium to say hi to the sharks! I’d also recommend the Botanical Gardens, Little Five Points, and of course seeing a show at the Fox Theatre. If they had time to go a little outside the city, I’d take them to one of our favorite spots: Arabia Mountain in the Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
​​As a husband + wife team, our marriage plays a large role in our business. Before we were married, Tim and I had worked in the wedding industry for a few years, but hadn’t really found our voice yet. In July 2018 we eloped in Big Sur, California. Tim and I had originally planned to elope in Yosemite National Park, but due to wildfire we had to evacuate and quickly change our plans. Because of our amazing photographer, Amber of Adventure Instead, our day was better than we could have ever imagined. Picking the right photographer for your wedding is such a big decision. Not only because of the investment, but because the right photographer can craft an amazing experience for you come rain or firel Our choice to have Amber capture our day changed our life, saved our wedding, and completely transformed our perspective on what it means to be a wedding photographer—sounds dramatic, but it’s 100% the truth!

I am a big believer that you are a product of who you surround yourself with and I am incredibly lucky to have some truly amazing and talented friends. Thank you to Jess of Frou Frou for being an incredible friend (my first true industry friend!), asking me to capture so many of your gorgeous floral designs, and continuing to pour into me and my business. Thank you to Meagan of Alabama Eden for always inspiring me with your incredible, colorful floral designs and helping so many of my crazy ideas come to life! On the photography side of things, thank you to Blaze of Sarah Blaze photo for being my confidant, keeping me sane, and being one of my very best friends!

I owe a huge thank you to Kim of Kim Box Photography. I learned so much in my time at the very beginning of my wedding photo + video journey working as a part of your incredible team. I can’t even begin to list all of the skills I gained while shooting alongside you. I absolutely would not be where I am without the years I spent learning from you. Thank you.

Of course I have to shout out my incredible other half, Tim. He has been my biggest supporter since the first day I met him in our high school film class. Thank you for always listening to my wild ideas and encouraging me to follow my dreams. Thank you for being the perfect other half to my soul and understanding what I mean when my words don’t move as quickly as my brain. ING wouldn’t be where it is without you!

Website: ingstudios.org

Instagram: instagram.com/ingstudios

Facebook: facebook.com/ingstudios