Behind the Lens: Jenna Louise Potter of Lucky Fish Photography
BEHIND THE LENS:
Jenna Louise Potter of
Lucky Fish Photography
Here at Retykle, we are incredibly proud to reveal the talented photographer behind the lens at our shoots! Jenna Louise Potter from Lucky Fish Photography has worked with us on almost all of our campaign shoots. As Hong Kong's go-to family photographer, we decided to catch up with her to hear how she started her business in Hong Kong and how she balances work life and motherhood.
Tell us a bit about about what brought you to Hong Kong and what led you to launch Lucky Fish Photography?
I moved to Hong Kong almost 10 years ago. The excitement of living in Asia was the main drawcard for me. I was young, single and prepared to take a risk! I’ve always loved creativity in all forms, and before I moved to HK, I worked as a Fashion Buyer in Cape Town. When I arrived, I decided to take a break from the corporate world to enjoy my new city and explore everything it had to offer. I accepted a job as a nanny, for a wonderful expat family.The hours were great and I adored the children. I started taking photographs of the kids I was looking after – natural images of them, going about their daily lives. Before I knew it, every weekend was booked up with family sessions, celebrations and babies. All of these bookings were made through word of mouth which was incredibly exciting. As sad as I was, when the family I worked for moved back to the USA in 2013, I knew it was the push I needed to focus wholly on my photography. It is so rewarding and I keep learning and growing in my approach to capturing special images for all my clients.
What advice do you have for someone who is looking to launch their own business in Hong Kong?
GO FOR IT! I’ll never forget standing with a friend, having a drink at Sevva, overlooking the bustling city below and telling her that I wanted to start a photography business. At the time, its seemed so daunting and almost impossible. However, Hong Kong has an energy that is exciting and the attitude here is that “anything is possible.” Networking was a really big part of my transition into working for myself. I've found that in Hong Kong especially, people are more than happy to help connect you to grow your business.
Don’t underestimate the time it can take to become established. I’ve been doing what I do for 8 years. It’s taken 8 years to get where I am and to have the client base that I have. I was recently chatting to a someone, who is looking to start their own photography business, and feeling quite daunted by it all. My advice to her was to just start. Celebrate every small win along the way, and don’t compare yourself because everyone is on their own journey. Success doesn’t happen over night, but if you’re passionate about what you do, the time will pass quickly and before you know it, you will have created something to be really proud of.
In South Africa, the term "Lucky Fish" refers to a person who is blessed with good fortune. It evokes a feeling of happiness and excitement.
What is the best thing about what you do?
I feel so fortunate that I get to call photographing families and children “my job”! I get to work with such a wide variety of different people and I just love being able to document so many stories. I also love the unpredictability that comes with working with children - I find their energy really captivating and inspiring. There is nothing more important in life than family. I feel so privileged to be able to capture the love and connection of families.
How do you balance work life and motherhood?
Hong Kong is a wonderful place to live and the culture of having full time help makes it a lot easier to juggle motherhood and work life. We have a wonderful helper who manages our home life and my children Flossie and Alfie totally adore her! Working for myself also means I get to create my own working hours which is great. I am often up very late, editing, after the children have gone to bed. I also work on weekends which can be a bit tough but I try to only schedule one shoot a day, so that I can still enjoy special family time with Simon, and the children. I am a much better mother when I am working and Simon is a great support to me, especially over the weekends. I love having something for myself - something that I have created and that I am so proud of.
What are some of your favourite things to do as a family in Hong Kong?
We have an energetic rescue dog named Pepper so on weekends we will always try and squeeze in a hike. We usually walk to the top of The Peak, where we can enjoy breakfast or lunch. We love going to the Southside beaches, especially the dog friendly ones. Our children love being out and about. We are also big foodies so eating out is always an important factor! We love a Sunday dim sum feast at Dragon I or Din Tai Fung. And when the weather is slightly cooler, we love simply hanging out at home on our terrace and entertaining friends.
發表評論