Business in Profile

Jinky Art

1. Briefly describe your business.

I'm a photographer based in the Gold Coast however I travel all over Australia, and sometimes America. I specialize in photographing babies, children & their families in a contemporary, fun and whimsical way.

2. Why did you start your business?

In 2002, I started taking photographs of my daughters and posting them to an online blog. Soon enough, I had people asking to hire me, and it all snowballed from there.

3. Has starting your own business lived up to expectations?

I absolutely wouldn't trade it for the world, however its not all sugar and candy. The long hours and working around the lives of my littlies can be difficult, however - its still worth it.

4. What have you enjoyed the most about running your own business?

I just love hanging out with children. Previously I was a childcare worker - so photographing them has just been such a rewarding job to me. I love that I'm able to personalize my business to meet the needs of my clients, which wouldn't happen if I was working in someone else's business.

5. What is the biggest challenge for you in running your own business?

I find the long hours the hardest. There is a lot more to it then just "clicking the camera". The creative and personal side of this job are the rewards, however there is a lot of time spent on the computer. Sometimes its hard to draw the line between home time and work time.

6. How do you manage the juggle of running your own business with family?

Well, I'm lucky in that my husband is in the business too. We both work around the children in every aspect of our business however because we have each other we are able to balance out the workload to ensure the children come first. I do spend more hours on the business then he does, so he gets to do all the cooking and the majority of cleaning - however thankfully we have found a fair balance that seems to work for us.

7. Do you have a favourite networking opportunity or event?

I have been hosting "retreats" for amateur and semi-professional photographers within Australia. There are usually around 20 of us and we spend the weekend exploring all aspects of photographing children and their families, as well as how to run a profitable and successful photographic business. There's loads of tea and scones involved too. Its really been a wonderful experience.

8. Do you have any advice for anyone out there who may be thinking about starting their own business?

Do what you love and love what you do!! If you have passion and drive then do it!

For more information about Jinky Art ...click here