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Jasemine Denise Photography

@jaseminedenisephotography / jaseminedenisephotography.tumblr.com

The pictorial monologue of a published portrait photographer who stopped taking pictures and started telling stories.... I work with models, moms, marriages, and mature individuals with creative minds. I do travel both nationally and internationally. chicago based portrait photographer booking info: booking@jaseminedenise.com Become a Patron!
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I spent the last week in hell, a spiritual prison created by care. I haven't written something so personal in a while... but because I couldn't outwardly talk about this experience, I shared it with my Patreon Patrons.. This is a very true story. One I may never tell to fullness again. I lost a lot of friends this week. Some close, some who were just fans of my work. I may never get those friendships back or find the energy to replace them.. I will however never forget my near death experience in Brooklyn New York. It sets the tone for my determination to continue to pay good people to do what they love for the rest of my life. Pledge and read the story. It's available regardless of the tier. I document a lot of stories about this journey there, because I know it is a safe space to open up about it.

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Being black is a super power. Immensely slept on. I speak my passion with the volume of my ancestors. Black women are either portrayed as weak victims or angry antagonists and neither of those are right. Being a black woman is a 📷flex 📷 because everything you touch your fingers to turns gold. You were born in a world filled with both hatred and admiration for who you are. You can walk straight into a room and intimidate everyone in it. Yet so many of us devote our lives to the good of our people, the betterment of the world, the progress of what we believe in.
Being a black woman is a gift, not just to us but to the world because without that influence, fashion would’ve been bland. Without that nurturing, parents wouldn’t know how to raise their kids. Without that devotion, great men would’ve struggled.
So the next time you think to talk down on a black woman or tell her what she should and shouldn’t do with her body, her narrative, her voice, her being.. remember, a super hero can turn into a super villain real quick. So behave, give praise, and stand for black women every day because the QUEEN said so. 📷 don’t wait and let us become another hashtag before you show us love.
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HAPPY PRIDE MONTH.⁠ It took me a long time to write this out because I wanted it to be genuine, not performative. People are using this month to profit off others' truths and I didn't want to contribute to that. This is not an ad, but I'm going to pay and boost it becuase it's worth being seen.⁠ ⁠ This is Erin and Jeannetta Adams, one of my first "gay marriage" weddings. I was confused when people would peruse through my portfolio, see this beautiful wedding and refuse to book me. Erin and Jeannetta have one of my favorite wedding stories ever told. The reception was south side lit, the wedding was traditional beautiful and these two beings combined everything I loved about myself. Their wedding colors were red and purple, I learned Erin loved Prince and Jeannetta was the spiritual protective type with a look that can kill. ⁠ ⁠ They are perfect. And the idea that two perfect people would ever fall in love and find forever is a truth that society has a hard time accepting. Pride is the time that people want to fake ally but refuse to acknowledge the proud, brave, people who lead comfortable normal lives because it's too hard to look at them and envision a time when it was "UNLAWFUL" for them to be wed because societal fear. Imagine celebrating PRIDE and not being PROUD of two beautiful SUCCESSFUL BLACK WOMEN who married each other and combined two beautiful black families together to make one. ''⁠ ⁠ I was NEVER your AVERAGE photographer and I like it that way. How else would I have been blessed to get moments like these.

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Mama's trying to move.

I've been quietly struggling with depression lately trying to get out of my apartment. I was originally saving and connecting with a roommate who recently realized they needed to spend a few years being independent so I'm back to hunting on my own.

Long story short ~

I found out that I'm not allowed to operate my studio in the small apartment I've been shoved into in the time that I was here. It wasn't inherently my choice but the relationship I was in went sour and I was pushed out immediately. Over the last two years I've been worked my ass off to keep my bills together and keep my car running but it's been intensely hard. As a photographer, I love being able to have a safe space for my models to create as well as safe space for my models. I can't publicly fundraise because my landlord needs money and is trying to keep me here. So I'm ready to start over and create/build in a safe space.

I haven't decided what my largest donations will be but I know it'll be a custom shoot just for them. So for my $100 funders, after you do it, message me and tell me what your dream photoshoot is and I'll make it happen!

Thank you for reading. Even if I don't make my goal, I will obviously spend my free time still creating and making sure to deliver you quality work because YOU are the reason we have been able to flourish and thrive. Thank you doesn't even begin to cover all the love you guys show us. I will continue to keep updating, most likely on Patreon on the situation because I want to finally evolve from this dark space.

Here are some ways other than updating your pledge that you can help:

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POV: Record Hunting.⁠ You're in your fourth record store to date, flipping through old vinyl albums from the eighties. You come up on this album. What are you doing? This photo took about five layers in photoshop but I envisioned being on the cover of a record in my head and this is what was born of it. ⁠ .⁠ .⁠ Lately, life has been hitting a series of lows. I had to reschedule a city on tour, I got my money stolen, and I essentially got knocked out by fatigue. In those moments, I struggled feeling like I was in a losing battle with the demons of my anxiety and my fear that everyone's gonna see the truth-- that I could potentially fail.⁠ .⁠ .⁠ I was in the height of those thoughts when I created this image. I just kept thinking about how before I wanted to be a photographer, I wanted to be a musician. While I could sing, I couldn't play instruments or write music but when I became a photographer, I embraced the rockstar lifestyle. Traveling, partying, and creating.. There comes a time in every rockstar's life where they have to find balance between creating and conquering demons.. Being able to make myself into an 80s Vinyl, shrink wrapped to perfection reminded me that I am the cultivator of who I am. I'm a limited edition LP record that is waiting for your consumption.

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