Hey, hey, heyyyyy! My name is Jessica (aka Wayfaring Wanderer) and I am a free-spirited photographer who loves working with couples, individuals, and families who are committed to travel, adventure, and laid-back lifestyles. I've lived in the Boone, NC area since 2005 and I'm known for capturing the spirit of the folks I photograph—the expressions, gestures, and details that are outward expressions of our innermost selves. While I'm primarily a wedding + elopement photographer, I also love working w/ individuals/couples/families that are traveling to the High Country area to getaway to the mountains. I absolutely love what I do and am so grateful to work with some of the most amazing people in one of the most beautiful places EVAR. Let’s go on an adventure!
There is a secret that I’ve been hiding
from you. It’s a BIG one, too. One that is positively life changing
in so many different ways. I’m excited and terrified all at the same
time as I head in this new direction. But it’s time that I made this
leap. It’s time that I have faith in my abilities and believe that I
have the power to achieve what I truly want most.
It wasn’t until recently, maybe the
last 2 years or so, that I even knew what I wanted to do with my
life. What I did know is that I wasn’t happy with what I was
currently doing. After a lot of deliberation, I finally decided to
make a change. Although I consciously decided to do the things that I
had been dreaming about, I still hadn’t mustered the courage to take
the plunge and be completely on my own. I needed a nudge which came
about in the form of a lay-off from my office job. That was over a
year and a half ago.
It was that push that caused me to
realize exactly what it was I wanted to do with my life. And that’s
what I have set out to accomplish during these months of
unemployment. This past summer, I finished up a degree in Graphic
Design with the Art Institute, which I’m really ecstatic about. It
was an amazing learning experience that I gained a great deal from. I
wanted to add Graphic Design to my skill set because I’ve always
appreciated aesthetics, and I genuinely wanted to know more about
creating compelling designs. Meshing Graphic Design with my love of
Photography seemed like a no-brainer to me. I feel as though the two
outlets go hand-in-hand and that having both would give me an
advantage in the world of working for myself.
Photography has been in my life since
the age of 10 when my Dad gave me my first 35mm camera. I remember
thinking how awesome it was because it had a time/date stamp, talk
about old school. Anyhow, it’s that one thing that has always stuck
with me in varying degrees. Some points in my life I’d be doing it
more than others. However, my camera hardly leaves my hands for very
long. It’s what I absolutely love to do more than anything. So,
there’s no doubt that this would be something that I would be doing
for years to come. It was only natural that it would eventually
become part of what I do as a way to generate income.
The problem with knowing what you love
to do and turning that into a way to create money is that there is a
great deal of uncertainty involved in working for yourself. For me,
though, there is no other way because I am not going back to what
made me unhappy. Not gonna happen! I won’t lie to you. I’ve struggled
with a lot of demons this past year that have tried to prevent me
from embarking on this new journey, but I somehow managed to clear
the hurdles put before me with as much grace and humility as I
possibly could. Now, here I am, ready to reveal what has materialized
from all my hard work.
Behind the scenes, I have built and
designed a new website for my photography/graphic design business. Instead of
using my name, I decided to go
another route. The name of my business and website is Discovery
Photography & Design. This new path has been one filled with
discoveries and realizations about myself and my dreams. It seemed so
fitting for me to give it this name.
My focus will be on portrait
photography because I have learned that I absolutely love to shoot
people. I’m a sucker for capturing the love that families share for
one another. As far as the design part of it goes, my goal is to work
with small businesses to develop designs to suit their specific
needs. I excel at concept development and bringing those visions to
life through graphic design. I have come to love it as much as my
photography.
Like I said in the beginning of this post, I’m
excited and terrified all at the same time to (finally) share with
you what I have been working toward for the last year and a half. The
process has been slow going, but I know that it’s happening at just
the right time. I’m as ready as I’ll ever be! Are you ready to see?
Because I’m finally ready to let go…
I welcome any and all feedback that you
have to offer. And I truly appreciate the support you are willing to
give (and have given thus far). If you know of anyone who could benefit from my photography or graphic design services, please share my information with them! I also invite you to “LIKE” the new
fan page I have set up where I plan to share sneak peeks of recent
photosessions, as well as other great photography & design related
things that happen to catch my eye.
My name is Jessica and I’m a wedding, engagement and lifestyle photographer based in Boone, NC. I’m known for capturing the spirit of the folks I photograph–the expressions, gestures, and details that are outward expressions of our innermost selves. I love working with couples, individuals and families who are committed to travel, adventure, and laid-back lifestyles. If you think we might be kindreds, I invite you to connect with me!
I can't wait TO CONNECT WITH YOU ANd hear more about your special day!
the mountains are calling...
Thank you so much for taking the time to contact me. I'm truly grateful to do what I love and I appreciate your time and consideration in advance! My response time is 24-hours for all wedding, engagement, and family photography inquiries. I look forward to connecting with you soon! In the meantime, let's be friends on Instagram. I love sharing a behind-the-scenes look at life in Boone, NC as a wedding photographer!