Happy Anniversary Blueberry Hill Images | New Brunswick Lifestyle Photographer

Today I have been in business for eight years! So here’s a little about how I started and how far I have come :)

I started my business as Jennifer Blake Photography in 2011, after many friends encouraged me to do it. I had always loved taking photos and learned a lot from working as a reporter, but never considered making it my full-time career.

Leading up to officially opening my business, I purchased a studio set up and lights from Amazon (it’s what I thought photographers “had” to do). I practised on friends and of course my daughter and started taking paid sessions in the spring of 2011.

When I look back at those first sessions, I’ll be honest I cringe a little lol. Lighting and backdrops and props and editing, it was all new to me. I learned as I went along, reading and asking questions and practising a lot. But it wasn’t long before I started to figure out that studio photography wasn’t for me. I can clearly see it now when I look at the quality of the photos I took outside, or in clients’ homes compared to my studio work. It’s cool to see how much my style has grown and changed over the years!

Here are some fun facts about me and my business:

• My first practice session was with twin baby boys and their two big sisters. It happened in my living room using our Christmas tree, blankets and a Bumbo.
• I bought a ton of cute baby props to do posed newborn sessions, but never used most of them. I still have some of them! Posing babies was never really my thing haha.
• I hadn’t considered shooting weddings until my cousin asked me to do hers in October 2011. It went really well and those are still some of my favourite images.
• I was a second shooter with Tracy from Copperblue Photography and Design later that same month. We’re still good friends and she has been one of my best resources as I’ve built my business.
• I’ve shot 21 weddings solo – eight of them in 2014. I’ve also been a second shooter for four weddings. My 22nd wedding is coming up this May!
• I’ve shot about 315 sessions! A little bit of everything. Families of all sizes, babies, maternity, grads, sports teams/skating, festivals, Santa photos, couples, weddings, products (like Luna Baby), photo booths, headshots, events like the Happy Hour Club, for organizations including Spectrum Inspired and the Estey Art Initiative, just to name a few lol.
• One of my favourite things to do in Saskatchewan was go exploring the back roads for abandoned houses and farms. It was a great creative outlet and I really want to do it again here in New Brunswick! Wanna see? Click HERE or HERE or HERE.
• I started offering Fresh 48 sessions in 2018 and it’s becoming one of my favourite types of sessions to do.
• I am hoping to start offering birth photography soon. My second birth was photographed at the last minute, (thanks again Tracy!) and they are some of my most treasured photos.
• Clients are always surprised when I am able to capture great photos of their children. I love kids so much, and I have learned over the years that to get them to cooperate for photos you have to get at their level and let them lead the way. I’ve never had to reschedule a session because of an uncooperative child.
• My true love is documenting real life, connections and laughter.
• I changed my name to Blueberry Hill Images in 2018 because I wanted to honour my dad and my childhood and create a sense of nostalgia through my images.

When my family moved to Oromocto from SK, starting up my business again was one of the hardest things I’ve done. But I’ve made so many incredible connections and am working back to being a busy and successful business again. I believe that what I offer is unique and special, and I can honestly say that I am confident in my talent and skill. I love what I do! There is a piece of my heart in every single photo I take.

Thanks for being here and following along on my journey <3 I can’t wait to see where to next eight years take me. Scroll down to have a look at how far I’ve come (make sure to read the captions).

www.blueberryhillimages.com