Today, we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Juergens.
Hi Stephanie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always had a passion for photography and also for the outdoors. But my real journey started in 2018 when I broke my back in five places in an all too ridiculous snow tubing accident. I had no insurance at the time and couldn’t afford physical therapy, so I started hiking. Less than a month after my accident, I did a hike to a waterfall in North Carolina while using my walker the entire way.
This day gave me so much motivation to do more, and so I started hiking regularly. When my back brace was finally able to come off, I started backpacking. Eventually, I started carrying my camera gear with me on my trips, and this eventually snowballed into something I was able to turn into a business with which I could make money. Ever since, I’ve delved into portraiture and was able to get more side business taking beautiful photos for people in that way.
However, my main area of focus is landscape and outdoor lifestyle photography, so a lot of my work is done in that regard. Because of the combining of my two greatest passions, I now get to spend my days traveling the country and exploring our wild spaces while helping to educate people about how to responsibly recreate and about all the amazing opportunities we have here in the USA.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There were a lot of struggles, but I’d say the road to where I am now has been relatively smooth. When I started my journey, it took a long time to truly get to dive fully into it. I couldn’t afford a camera at the time, but a woman very dear to me saw potential in me and gifted me my very first REAL camera: a Sony A7ii.
This is something that I’ll be forever grateful for, as it allowed me to get to grow. After this, it took me years to learn how to shoot manually and how to get the shots to come out the way I wanted them to. I’m still learning today, as it really is a never-ending process of self-perfecting your style of art. Aside from this, it’s always been just a matter of working hard and saving up to buy good lenses and travel to places so I can get the photos I’ve been dreaming of for so long.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a landscape and outdoor lifestyle-focused photographer. I also shoot portraits for people on the side. I specialize in photos that show off our wild spaces and the adventures that brought those photos to life.
The thing I’m most proud of would, without question, be the fact that I have set myself up to work a job that doesn’t feel like a job. It’s so much fun, and while there are times it can get a bit stressful or tiring, I never stop loving it all for even a second. That’s a feeling everyone should have, but few truly attain.
And I think that this is something that sets me apart from other people in a way. I always make sure it all centers around fun and adventure, not just the work aspect. I’m taking photos of places most people don’t get to see in their entire lives, which is truly special.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
A lot of people ask what I take my photos and videos with. I primarily shoot with a Sony A7ii and varying DJI drones and LOVE my set up!
Most of my photography and videos can be found on Instagram. My page is @wanderlust_hikes_.
I’m always grateful for the support and look forward to making more connections with people who feel passionately about our wild spaces and also about photography. Most of the friends I’ve made, as well as the business I’ve gotten comes from Instagram.
Pricing:
- Mini photo sessions (45 minutes to an hour) $100
- Full session $300
- Hiking photo adventure $TBD pending location, etc.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/wanderlust_hikes_
Image Credits
Stephanie Juergens
