Jessie. noun;
Jess, Jessie Lynn (not Jessica)
midwest (KS) born & raised, avid treasure hunting thrifter, and forever loyal to a vanilla iced latte. married to my bald hottie for 4 years and creatively unhinged in all the best ways. when i’m not photographing love birds, i’m probably elbows deep in a craft project i didn’t need to start, laughing at my own jokes, or pretending walking through the nearest TJMAXX looking for things I don't need counts as a hobby. "it's not that deep" is a line i use on the daily, but that more defines how i view life and myself. our stories are already written, but while i'm here i do take making people feel seen through capturing their photo seriously.
a little story... long story, longer ;)
One thing about me? I will give you the long story, because let’s be real, the full story is always more fun (and a little chaotic, in the best way).
Back in 2017, I was a Kindergarten teacher in southwest Kansas, just trying to survive snack time, when I met this cute bald guy named Robbie. He was playing summer baseball and somehow managed to slide into my life thanks to his host family… who also happened to be my boss (small town things, right?). Two weeks later, we were basically a rom-com. Eight months later? Moving across the country to chase his baseball dreams.
Now here’s where things get spicy: while I was playing it safe in the teaching world, secretly dreaming of a photography business, Robbie (aka hype-man of the century) believed in me so hard that he bought me an iMac and registered my LLC as a Valentine’s gift. Like... forget roses, give me intention with a tax write-off.
Fast-forward through a pandemic to a hot air balloon engagement (yes, really), and two cats later, Melvin and Maya, we landed in Tennessee, launched our joint business Oak & Twine, and I FINALLY went full-time as a photographer. Robbie chased his dream of entrepreneurship, and I chased the dream I thought was too risky to reach for. Spoiler alert: It’s been magic!
Now I spend my days freezing your favorite moments in time. Capturing the raw, joy-filled, true to you images that make your lip quiver in that “I’m not crying, you’re crying” kind of way. Photographing love stories, wild moments, soft glances, and belly laughs is more than a job, it's what fills my cup to the brim (and then some). I feel incredibly lucky to do what I love with the person I love, and to serve couples and families who value heart, humor, and a whole lot of real.
If you're looking for a photographer who will hype you up, cry with you at your wedding, and probably become your new group chat member, I'm your girl. Let’s make some beautiful art through photography (and maybe a few inside jokes along the way).