I've been a fan of Jeanne Mitchum's for quite awhile now. From afar, I feel like I know her so well (thanks, Instagram!), so I was thrilled when this talented Charleston wedding photographer inquired about joining our A Lowcountry Wedding fam! I just know our brides will love her personality, her heart and ability to capture those moments that will last a lifetime. So without further adieu, we'd like to introduce to you, the lovely Jeanne Mitchum of Jeanne Mitchum Photography.
Tell us a little bit about yourself…and by a little, we mean a lot!
Hometown… I've grown up in Charleston. Well, just outside of Charleston in a town called Summerville but I LOVE Charleston and I don't think I'll ever leave.
College/Major…College of Charleston is where I attained a BA in studio arts with an emphasis on photography an sculpture. Later, I attended Savannah College of Art & Design for their masters program in graphic design. The whole time I was at S.C.A.D. I couldn't help but dig deeper and deeper into photography as well. After S.C.A.D., I jumped right in and started my business (10 years ago).
One crazy fun fact we wouldn’t know about you…
Well I suppose this could be just about anything since we are just now getting acquainted. One fun fact you may not know is that I play bass for Seacost Church in Summerville.
Give us a little background on how your business came to life…
While attending S.C.A.D. it just became more and more clear to me just how much I love and miss Charleston—that wasn't the only thing that was becoming clear—I wanted to do photography full time. I knew growing up that I wanted to be a photographer but things would get in the way, I was being told that I couldn't make a living just doing photography so I needed a degree in something else to couple with those skills—thankfully that was way wrong. I started off at CofC taking psychology classes but quickly switched to what I knew I would be better at. After leaving SCAD I got a part time job at the mall and just started working on my business from there. Through this whole journey amazing relationships have been forged and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
What is the one tip you wish you could tell every bride?
Since I am a photographer I guess one of the things you'd expect me to say is please don't skimp on your photography. Other than your newly started marriage, photographs are all you'll have when the wedding is over and it's important that you get what you want. First and foremost-my primary tip would be to have fun and don't forget that your marriage is way more important than your wedding—so don't forget to invest more in your marriage than you do in your wedding. When you do that you can enjoy color schemes, wedding dresses, venues, and flowers for what they are instead of them being the whole focus—so make sure you're continuing to build that relationship with your fiance while you plan.
How can a bride come prepared to her first appointment with you?
First just be prepared for a relaxed conversation about their wedding and photography. Bring questions and be prepared to have a vision for the wedding. Knowing what you want out of your photography is helpful and knowing how to communicate your vision and what you value will help exponentially. It's okay to not know what you want immediately—this is forgien territory so don't hesitate to do as much research as you want. Doing some research can help you better identify what you want and can even help you identify what other questions to ask and to know what style of photography you're looking for.
In three words, sum up your style… hard to define
Favorite wedding image you’ve ever snapped…
My favorite shot is actually an egagement shot. I had the pleasure of photographing a friend of mine and his fiance. We did their shoot at the American Theater and William Aiken House. There's this shot of them in the room with that killer red couch at the William Aiken house. It's my favorite because I think it defines my style quite a bit.
What blogs provide you daily inspiration to keep your creative juices flowing (non-wedding related):
Some friends of mine started a blog called Badchristian.com. It's quite brilliant in that they're discussing things that people are often afraid to talk about in an honest and real way. It's a lot of great conversation starters. Another blog that I LOVE is Fstoppers.com. If you're a photographer you probably have heard of it and are reading it. I also love reading other photographer's blogs. There's probably too many to list..
Top Six All-time favorite TV Shows…
- Faceoff
- So You Think You Can Dance
- How I Met Your Mother
- Dexter
- Walking Dead
- The Voice
What the most rewarding thing about your line of work?
The most rewarding thing about my line of work is investing in people—knowing that I am creating lasting memories for people that they can be proud of is humbling and exhilarating. The thought that their children and grandchildren will learn more about their family by looking at these images someday is exciting. I know it's a bit cliché but it's true and I think about that. I also think about the people that are there at the wedding and how I may be capturing an image that might be surprisingly important later. That sounds a bit enigmatic but life is short and you never know what's going to happen the next day—that's just how I see things.
It’s Friday and you just cashed your paycheck….what’s your first splurge?
This is a funny question because I really have a terrible time spending money on myself. Fridays are usually my husband's day off so we tend to take a step back from things and try to recharge—plus, Saturdays are usually wedding days so it's nice to have a Friday to chill before that. If I were to receive an unexpectedly huge amount of money then I might be inclined to splurge a little. We would most likely head downtown to the Tattooed Moose and eat, then go shopping for quirky pieces of furniture for photo shoots and go where the mood takes us.
Favorite Item of Clothing…
I have this red plaid vintage western button up shirt (that's a lot of adjectives) that I am in love with right now. I snagged it at a thrift store recently and I can't stop wearing it.
If you were a major league baseball player, what would be your ‘at-bat’ song?
Don't hate me but I really don't like sports. I know crazy, right? So because of that I am not entirely sure of what an “at-bat” song is. I assume it's a song to get the crowd going and pump everyone up? Yes? Okay if so, then I would probably choose “Memphis Will Be Laid to Waste” by Norma Jean. Music is super important to me and I just can't get enough of it. So this is really a hard question. I can think of way too many songs/ bands.
Favorite beverage…
Coffee and specifically an Iced Americano, black.
Current favorite color palette…
I'm really digging greens and purples at the moment. But I love greys and blacks too with a pop of color.
Favorite Quote…
“Be yourself everyone else is already taken.”-Oscar Wilde and “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male or female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”-Galations 3:28
Must have Lowcountry wedding detail….
Oak trees with spanish moss. I love trees and find that they photograph quite well with a bride and groom.
Need some more Jeanne Mitchum in your life!?!
You can contact her via:
email: jeanne@jeannemitchum.com
or online at: www.jeannemitchum.com