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

Hi Jami, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
The actual science of using a DSLR camera. There’s so much that goes into learning how to expose for your subject and how you want the photo to look. Aperture, shutter speed, and ISO are all things that need to be learned and considered. I had to learn the hard way and use film when I was in school. I feel like that set the standard for how I shoot. You only have one roll of film to get it right.  You can’t delete and retry. It was a great way to learn the basics and so many people don’t learn them anymore. 

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

When I made the decision to quit my full time job and start my full time photography business, I feel like I made the best decision of my life. Breaking into the field wasn’t exactly easy. Word of mouth was my savior and being that “someone” who my clients genuinely enjoyed hanging out with and trusted to share their lives, was a big part of my success. There are still times where you can feel a little defeated because someone chose another photographer over you, but remembering your worth and skill is key. What I feel sets me apart from other photographers is my composition (posing), retouching (editing), and my happy/warm personality. It may sound weird, but making the clients comfortable and have fun with me is a huge accomplishment in my book. I gain lifelong friends in many of my clients and I intend to keep doing so.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my friend was staying in omaha, I would suggest they stay at the Kimpton Cottonwood hotel in the summer. They have amazing food, drinks, atmosphere and of course a big pool with all the fixings. A couple bars I really enjoy are the green room and sonnys. The green room bartenders come up with a new menu monthly and each person comes up with their own concoction. Sonnys is a little airstream trailer that has a big pergola area with fans and misters. They also have their own delicious drink choices and great couches to get comfy on. Ponzu is a restaurant I really enjoy that is walking distance from Sonnys. Its main focus is sushi, but they also offer many delicious, creative options other than sushi. If you’re downtown getting drinks at the Green Room, I recommend checking out J. Gilbert’s for steak and cocktails. Just delicious. For something a little less fancy, the Mattress Factory is a staple in downtown omaha as they host the college World Series every year. Great food and atmosphere. 

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My high school photography instructor deserves a lot of credit for my success and me wanting to further a career in photography. He is the one who taught me how to use a camera correctly and recognized that I had talent. Mr. Doug Smith of Omaha, NE. I also had a lot of post production help by taking classes from Julia Kuzmenko McKim in beauty retouching. Without those people, I’m not sure I would be where I am today.

Website: jamiophoto.mypixieset.com

Instagram: @jamiophoto

Facebook: Facebook.com/jamioldsphotography

Image Credits
Jami O Photo

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