Life::: Our Team

11.11.14

Amber, Donovan, Jeremy, News, Portraits

Image Property of Jeremy Hess Photography 2024.

community

It’s the best part of all that unfolds in our studio. It is where our lives come together and we pause amidst the busyness of our days long enough to share our hearts and connect beyond our to do lists. This past year our team has gone through a lot of transition. We decided early on in 2014 that the art of celebration is something we wanted to experience more of as a team. We have reflected on this idea and chosen to put more thought and effort behind the moments we share together.

We are not simply a collection of five storytellers, or coworkers.

We are five families, creating one community.

When we come together it is a celebration of all that we have seen and experienced since the last time we met. We have shared some rich times together in 2014.

We have laughed. Amber always mentions “the belly laugh” as one of her favorite parts of life as a team at the studio. Undoubtedly Jeremy will do something silly, like walk out of the bathroom with his belt “accidentally” tucked into his pants behind a shiny new belt buckle. Donovan and Katie will quietly notice this bold new “hipster” approach to fashion. Then at the next team meeting Mark will lean in at an inappropriate moment and whisper, “buckle tuck.” Viola- the belly laugh ensues. This is the way it goes.

We also shed our fair share of tears as a team. Because while there are new projects, new births and breakthroughs to celebrate, there is also the reality of broken dreams and miscarriages and disappointments that invade our lives. Our community is a safe place to be human and broken. This is our desire- to practice the art of celebration together while pursuing life, knowing that we can lean into each other when things are hard.

As we considered our message for the Holiday issue of fig magazine, we wanted to offer more than just a pretty photo with smiling faces and glowing light. We wanted to offer a glimpse into a fundamental aspect of who we are and what we experience when we join each other around the table.

We wanted to capture us, around a meal.

We decided on breakfast, and we chose sunrise at the farm where Mark, his wife Heather and their five children live. Katie and Amber put together the vision for the meal, the details, the food, and all things pretty. Jeremy, Donovan and Mark provided the muscle to create a setting for the images to be captured. The glorious sun broke through heavy cloud cover that morning, and the rest is history. We shared an awesome breakfast together, accompanied by belly laughs and tears. We talked about community and what we are trying to build. We sat together around a garage sale picnic table in the middle of a mostly forgotten field and dreamed about how to do things differently. We laughed at ourselves, we laughed at each other.

Enjoy the images. As you look through them, our desire is that you would feel the camaraderie and affection that we feel for one another when we gather. Then consider your community, what you are building, and how you can bring who you are more fully to that place.

Love from the JHP team- Jeremy (photographer), Donovan (photographer), Mark (photographer, Studio Manager), Amber (photographer), & Katie (Studio Coordinator)

Jeremy Hess Photographers

Lancaster, PA Photography

Life::: Our Team

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