If you visit photographer Jeffrey San Juan’s website, you’ll notice there isn’t an “about me” page. There is an “about us” page, however. The “us” doesn’t refer to San Juan’s colleagues or collaborators. It actually refers to his family.
Rather than try to sell you on what makes him the right guy for your photography needs, whether it’s family portraits, senior photos, or covering weddings and other events, San Juan uses this page to let visitors know he wouldn’t be the man he is today without his wife and daughter.
“Family is always first and, if I could, I would spend every minute with them,” San Juan told the Sun. “When I’m not shooting or editing, most of my time will be spent with my family.”
But even from a business standpoint, it’s important for San Juan to share his unabashed love of food festivals, bottled root beer, the Lakers, and Pixar movies, because it’s integral to the energy, humor, and overall personality he strives to convey through his photography. The personality aspect is unique to each client, he explained.
“It’s about getting to know your clients first. What makes them laugh and comfortable,” San Juan said. “Then you just have to let if flow from there.”
San Juan remembers picking up a real film camera for the first time during a high school photography class. He would go on to graduate from the Art Institute of San Diego with a degree in graphic art and didn’t consider pursuing a photography career until after getting married.
“While my wife was shopping for a photographer for our wedding, there were many times I said ‘I could do that,’” San Juan said.
Today, San Juan is primarily known for his wedding photography. His goal with weddings, he explained, has always been to capture real moments as they naturally unfold and as unobtrusively as humanly possible.
“I want most of my work to show the realness of a wedding as opposed to posed shots,” San Juan said. “A lot of times I’ll have the groom whisper in the bride’s ear or tickle her in that area, and from there, naturalness comes out.”
One of the aspects San Juan appreciates the most in terms of being his own boss is controlling his schedule, setting enough time aside to spend with his family. For photographers aspiring to start their own business, and for entrepreneurs in general, San Juan’s advice is to make sure you’re thinking with your heart, not your wallet.
“Don’t be afraid to take chances, be very patient, and remember that you’re doing it for the love and not for the money,” San Juan said. “Once you think it’s for the money, I promise you will go nowhere.”
Highlights:
• The Foundation Roundtable of Santa Barbara County is seeking nonprofits to apply to host five-minute presentations in front of their peers during the Partnership for Excellence 2019 conference, scheduled to take place on April 11 from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Alisal Ranch, located at 1054 Alisal Road, Solvang. Presentation topics should relate to the theme of this year’s conference, “Unplug, Reconnect, and Explore”, and encourage attendees to rediscover their inspirations. Applications are due by March 8 and can be submitted online at nprnsb.org/pfe. Email pfe@nprnsb.org for more info.
• The city of Lompoc is launching an interactive budgeting tool that allows Lompoc residents to assist in balancing the city budget. As the 2019-21 biennial budget is being prepared, the city invites community members to make adjustments to its projected budget using the tool and provide feedback through an online survey. Residents can find the tool and survey at cityoflompoc.com. More info: (805) 736-1261.
Calendar Editor Caleb Wiseblood wrote this week’s Biz Spotlight. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, mail, or email at spotlight@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Feb 28 – Mar 7, 2019.