Mentoring sessions are such a joy! To teach a photography student here in my studio in Bend, Oregon, one-on-one — it’s a precious, thrilling experience to say the very least. I tailor my teaching and customize each session to a student’s strengths and weaknesses, goals and business plan. It’s a lot of work, but so much fun! Especially when we welcome someone like Olivia Pritchard of Olivia Grey Pritchard Photography, who we joked was my Southern doppelgänger. Olivia came all the way from New Orleans with her sweet Southern accent and perky personality. When we posted photos of us together on Facebook, everyone thought we looked like sisters!! LOL!

Olivia Pritchard came all the way from New Orleans for a private mentoring session. We had so much fun!

Photography mentoring sessions with newborns require the perfect combination of factors coming together at exactly the right time. We need babies that are just the right age (5-10 days old). We need them to be able to come to the studio on very specific, pre-organized dates because of travel. We need them fed and hopefully happy and sleepy. We need mommies and daddies willing to leave the comforts of home at a very tiring time. It’s a lot of work! But, what these families get in return are memories documented that will last  lifetime… and what our students get is invaluable to their business and their art.

Take a peek at these beautiful images from my latest mentoring session and check out Jewel U Education if you’re interested in visiting me here in beautiful Bend, Oregon!

~Julia