A few weeks ago, we had the opportunity to meet and chat with Jennifer Rowsom, a Toronto-based commercial, fine art and wedding photographer who entered and won the first Great Engagement Shoot Challenge.

Winning photo from The Great Engagement Shoot Challenge.

Read our interview with Jennifer about completing the shoot and to find out a little bit more about what makes her tick:

The Wedding Co.: What inspired the picture you submitted at The Great Engagement Shoot Challenge and what was it like to have to incorporate the couple’s dog unexpectedly into the image?

Jennifer Rowsom: Pearl (Heather and Steve’s dog) actually influenced the park location right off the bat. I am generally afraid of dogs having been chased by one but luckily I liked her personality right from the start and I wanted to incorporate her. I think an engagement portrait captures a moment in time and while it shouldn’t be too posed, it needs to be more than a snapshot — something you’d hang on your wall — and I was prepared with a few props but Heather’s comment that Pearl often sits on the park bench with them was enough for me, and the light was absolutely perfect.  Using the Polaroid image was one of my first ideas and we combined the two for our entry.

TWC: Let’s go back to your start as a photographer — how did you get into the profession and why did you pursue wedding photography?

JR: My dad got me started with photography when he created a darkroom in a bathroom at home; I loved the process of shooting a roll of black and white film and processing it in the same afternoon. My high school also started a photography class and I got into it the first year it was offered. I now use my first camera, a pink and grey Cool Cam as a prop in some of my work. I am photography obsessed and my camera collection is now at about 50.

Jennifer Rowsom Photography

TWC: What has been your most challenging shoot, in a professional capacity, since you’ve become a wedding photographer?

JR: My greatest challenge is weather — I love the light in the wedding pictures from Southern California — unfortunately we have snow, rain and cold to deal with and that can be hard. I also like to be the unseen presence when I work because that makes for more intimate and personal shots, establishing that invisibility can be hard.

TWC: Can you describe your style of photography?

JR: I love to experiment and I love to mix things up. Working with film as well as digital, and doing both fine art and commercial jobs, my work is full of pictures created by different processes. When it comes to digital, I use a light hand in Photoshop and rather than use layers and textures, I use different cameras to get different effects and a range of images throughout each job. Also, where digital photography typically speeds up work for commercial projects and weddings, my fine art work, which is entirely film, slows me down and makes me more appreciative of each frame I take.

Jennifer Rowsom Photography

TWC: What inspires you in your work and what do you aspire to as a professional wedding photographer?

JR: As a wedding photographer, I love that there are no compromises, my heart races through an entire wedding, I forget to eat or drink and the situation is always slightly different. The time to experiment with new cameras and ideas is over and the level of focus is so high — it’s that new style of wedding photography that drew me to document weddings in the first place, the ‘90s static shots aren’t my style at all.

Karen’s (Whylie) aesthetic inspires me a lot too, her editorial and storytelling background to the finished products she provides her couples, in working with her on weddings she gave me the freedom to explore my own style. We both like to document the moment which is something that connects my weddings to my fine art where I shoot reflections of the past in order to preserve it.

Jennifer Rowson Photography

Jennifer Rowsom Photography

Jennifer Rowsom Photography

Notes: Jennifer photographs weddings for Coyote Photos. Her answers were shortened for brevity but we endeavoured to keep her tone and meaning throughout.

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