Jessica Castro, Photographer
I had the pleasure of interviewing my good friend and colleague, Jessica Castro, a Florida native with a penchant for romance who specializes in portraiture, fashion, and wedding photography. Supremely thoughtful and caring in nature, Jessica has a knack for catching fleeting moments and gorgeous details. Her warm and engaging personality puts her clients at ease, resulting in naturally beautiful shots and organically captured moments.
After living in LA for 5 years, Jessica felt the itch for a lifestyle with a smaller and more sustainable footprint, and decided to make Joshua Tree her home in 2018; though she still travels to LA for shoots and meetings multiple times per month.
Check out her diverse work at the following links:
Romance: JessicaCastroWeddings.com / @jessicacastroweddings
Editorial: JessicaCastroPhotography.com / @heyjesshi
Tell me about your business!
I’m a photographer specializing in portraiture; mainly in entertainment, fashion and weddings! I’ve been photographer for a decade now and have been running my business out of California full time for 6 years.
What was the final push that made you decide to start working for yourself, or made you realize that this was a viable career path?
I started making money with photography in college. Once I found photography I knew I had to give it my all. I stayed very focused and kept moving forward in little steps. Moving to California was my final big pull into making it viable.
What do you find the most challenging about running your own business?
The whole business aspect of photography gets tricky, especially getting people to understand your worth and pay for it. Payments are always something you’re chasing.
What do you consider your strengths, and what do you think sets you apart from others in your industry?
My personality is one of my greatest strengths. I love people, and it shows that I’m excited to work with my clients and capture their story. I have found a nice balance with things, and I don’t feel the need to chase huge dreams anymore. I like the clients I have, and I build strong sincere relationships with them. A lot of my clients have been with me for multiple years.
What do you like most about the work that you do?
Getting to work with different people. Everything is so different and fresh in a big city like LA.
What are some of your goals going forward, and how do you plan to accomplish them?
Getting more business local to the desert so I can feel part of the community more! I plan on networking more and marketing myself more out here.
What’s your approach to marketing yourself, and how has that changed over time?
I’m definitely a more “word of mouth” person. A lot of my work comes in from working together once and wanting to work together again, or referrals from clients. I do have print outs for my weddings that I’ve been putting up locally, old-school style. I love using networks such as Facebook group for business women or people in the industry. Sometimes I will find some nice jobs that way.