Connection is my highest value
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I choose meaningful and deep conversations over small talk and I choose capturing your soul, your joy, your badass-ness, your pain, your heart, your story, in portraiture. Sure, you will have gorgeous photos of yourself that you will love forever, but I believe the best and most timeless portraits are more than that.
My relationship with “the photograph” goes further back than I can remember and you can read more about it here should you want to go down that route. :)
My dad gave me my first Canon, (which I still have), when I was 14 years old and I have been photographing people since. As a hobby and a passion for so many years. Investing heavily into my education, equipment and countless hours to master my craft. I am still learning and investing everyday.
I’ve spent years photographing seniors, boudoir, portraits, families, weddings, and events as a side hustle or even for fun. There has been a voice in my head for more than three decades, telling me this is what I was meant to do as my work. And I always squashed it, since I was always very successful in my previous jobs and money flowed.
Like many people, the pandemic caused a shift in my life. I realized that my successes were not because I had great jobs, they were because I poured myself into those “jobs”, into my co-workers, into the success of the company, and more importantly, into MY CLIENTS. They were a part of me, and I was not Jo Ellen Verna with company XYZ. I was Jo Ellen Verna and you have my rapt attention, and you have my word.
I connected deeply to the person, and to the outcome of every interaction and transaction.
So, at 56 years old, I thought… what if I poured that much love and commitment into my portrait work? What if I did this for women (and the people they love) in a way that could radically shift the way they see themselves? What if, together with you, we created something that you could hold in your hands and LOVE? What if that creation of ours outlived us, and yet was treasured by family and friends, like a heartstring tapping into a well of memories of you.
That is my why.
Today, I am Jo Ellen Verna, portrait artist and I am your mirror.