At FOTO, we are committed to creating a hub where fellow creatives can equip their cameras and empower their missions.
We've been blown away by the popularity of our new Designer Fotostraps, but are most excited that so many of you are choosing to personalize these straps with an anthem message. Embedded on the interior of the camera strap, these words represent what fuels your work.
In the spirit of empowerment, we're continuing our new blog series highlighting the "anthem" of one of our customers - lifestyle and portrait photographer and blogger Jasmine Smulley.
Name: Jasmine Smulley
Based in: Forestville, Pennsylvania
Business name & brief description: Jasmine Smulley Photography. Hey there! I’m a Pennsylvania-based Lifestyle and Portrait Photographer, Blogger, Wife, and Mom.
Designer Fotostrap color: Ivory
Anthem message, words or saying: Be the light
Why did you choose this anthem? “Be the light” means so many things for me. It’s a message of hope, an instructional guide for my journey in photography, and truly a way I live my life. I first heard it as a message from the bible, and it has always spoken to me. I’ve always chosen to be a light in a world that can sometimes be dark. In terms of photography, understanding natural light was one of the biggest turning points in my journey when I first picked up a DSLR camera, 10 years ago. From then on, everything was about the light, finding it, playing with it, experimenting with it, and loving how I could completely change the vibes and emotion in an image, by simply changing where I placed my light. And so “Be the light” means many things for me, in terms of life and photography. It seemed like the most fitting words I could place on my Fotostrap. I could write so much more, but I’ll spare you the book! lol.
How does it inspire your work? It’s a constant reminder to experiment and work with the light. As a natural light photographer, working with the light I’m given on any scheduled client session or time that I choose to photograph our family can either be a breeze or a challenge. But those three little words remind me to look for the light and be mindful of how I choose to photograph it along with my subjects.
Where else or in what else do you find creative inspiration? I find it in so many places. I’m one of those people who absorbs their environment and is always spotting a pretty photo opportunity lol…whether it’s a golden sunset, my children dancing in the yard, or a pretty latte from my favorite coffee shop. A lot of inspiration comes from seeing the magic in everyday moments. I’m also very inspired by the change of seasons, and how each new season (which we experience fully in Pennsylvania) gives us a new landscape, a new coloring on our surroundings, a different hue of sunsets than the last. Our children growing is always an inspiration, as I love to document our family’s lives, daily. The way my husband adventures with our boys, the way they laugh, every little happy fleeting moment inspires me to document it.
Anything else we should know about you? I’ve been a lifestyle and portrait photographer for 10 years. It was an unexpected journey, as I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Business. But one day I bought a camera on a whim, because I had this urge to document the lives Jake and I had started together. I’m self taught and built my business from the ground up. I’ve hosted a number of workshops for aspiring photographers, and have mentored a number of photographers as well. I continue to grow in my art and business, and as a wife and a mom. My photography has developed alongside me and it’s been incredible to see my own work shift and grow as our family grows and changes within our different seasons of life. I’m married to my best friend, Jake, who has always been my biggest supporter of every adventure or crazy idea I come up with lol. Together we have two adventurous little boys, and also own and operate a racetrack, Big Diamond Speedway. We built a home and a life for ourselves on a mountain in Pennsylvania. Being able to document our lives and also run a business based on an incredible form of art has been a blessing and exciting journey that I continue to love each and every day. Honestly, there’s never a dull moment.
Instagram profile: @jasminesmulley
Want to declare an anthem, but need some inspiration? Check out these ideas to help you decide on your personalization for your Fotostrap!
