We had the good fortune of connecting with Geraldine Jeannot and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Geraldine, what’s the end goal, career-wise?
My end goal is to travel full time for destination weddings and making 6 figures consistently. I want to open a studio that also doubles as a co working space for creatives.
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.
My entire business model is founded on making my couples and the people in front of my lens feel more comfortable. I always want to try and capture the essence of who someone is in their natural element with all of their natural features.
I started photography in college as a side gig. I was doing graduation photos for friends. Eventually I came to be known as one of the “go to” photographers. Booking 15-25 graduates per semester. It was until I had multiple Black women say to me “ I picked you to photograph my graduation photos because you know how to photograph black skin and make it look beautiful.” I was photographing 90% black men and women for graduation pictures. I feel honored and empowered that I was able to capture milestones in their story and help them feel seen.
The journey to where I am now in 2021 was not easy. It took me almost 6 years of learning my craft and my gear for me to fully consider myself a photographer. And I still have so much more growth. Much of my learning came from failing multiple times in many areas. And that is the part that everyone wants to skip to get to success. It’s a hard pill to swallow but you have to fail your way into success.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Orlando is a foodies paradise of hidden gems. We would always start with brunch at Seven Bites. They have the best grits, biscuits, sweet tea, everything!
For lunch we would go to the East End Market, a combination of food, small businesses and live music.
Dinner is at The Hall on the Yard. A 9 kitchen food hall.
Places to visit: Park Ave in Winter Park for a light stroll.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many friends and family to shout out. But I need to start with a special woman and her team that have pushed me this. That’s Tomayia Colvin and her Mastermind Momentum group. She is a powerhouse educator within the photography industry.
Website: Www.GeraldineJeannotphotography.com
Instagram: @geraldinejeannotphoto
Facebook: @geraldinejeannotphotography
Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCeHwaD1WEi4Kc53SCc_jOHw