01/06/2026
Today's post is a very personal one. I am a couple of weeks late, but with the chaos of Christmas it's tough. I wanted to celebrate the 15th birthday of J Lynn Photography and give you a little back story of how I started this business.
My Junior year of High School I was on a path thinking that I was going to become a Lawyer. However, after taking my first Photography class in school, I knew this was it. I started College in '99 and was taking a Photo 1 class (which I failed, but I think I went to the beach more than I went to class, don't tell my kids). So after that I decided to get serious. I took every photo class they had available, Photo 1 & 2, Color slide, Black and white, etc. We used to develop our own negatives and print our own photos in the darkroom, yes, I'm THAT old. Then life happened and my path got a little curvy. I tried other careers, thinking how will I ever make a career (and money) as a professional Photographer. Christmas of 2005 I got my first Digital DSLR Camera. In 2006 I had my first paying client, she gave me $100 for the session and her photos. Then before having my first child in 2007 I remember dreaming in the office of my Property Management job, of owning my own business, and I drew up my first ever logo for J Lynn Photography. We moved to Texas, I was busy Mom'ing and working and Photography was really on the back burner until December of 2010. I had my second child and knew we were done, so I decided it was time to really push this dream. I created J Lynn Photography LLC.
Since then I've had three more babies (as a surrogate), worked two other full time jobs that were not photography related, and took J Lynn Photography full time in 2014. In 2018 I finally completed my Photography degree. And I have been owning and running this business full time for over 11 years. To say this dream has been a long time coming, and I have worked so hard to achieve it, is an understatement. At one point I was working full time, with my kids home with me, shooting on the weekends and editing every night after they went to bed.
This business has been my baby for so long and I'm so excited to officially wish her happy 15th birthday. If you actually read all of this, thanks for sticking with me. And thank you to all of my clients for their trust and loyalty and to my family for the support. Without all of you, this would not be possible. I'm sharing some of my first photos ever taken, and some of my most recent. I may cringe looking at some of my beginning sessions, but I know that photo is part of my story and part of theirs. Growth is part of the journey, and I promise to never stop growing! I've been blessed to capture people's first photos as a family, and some of their lasts. Your stories will always stay with me forever. Thank you for helping me celebrate today.
