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About Jen

About Jen Greer, Portland Portrait Photographer

My Story

While photography is my second career (I grew up in the wild west of the internet days, coding and producing websites for studios and large firms), it has always been my first love. I’ve been shooting since I was a kid, building homemade darkrooms in my closets and laundry room. I still kind of miss the smell of the chemicals. Landscapes and cityscapes were my favorite subjects back then.

I grew up in Toronto, Canada, and moved to Los Angeles when I was 21. I very luckily have dual citizenship, or as I like to say, I’m a Canarican. I turned my hobby into a successful wedding and portrait business in Los Angeles that ran for over 15 years. Photographing weddings was one of the most rewarding and creative outlets I could have found. The pressure of capturing once-in-a-lifetime moments, the extreme pace of the day and trying to keep cool throughout was eye-opening, and I gained a huge respect for the craft of documenting weddings and for the honor of capturing those moments and families.

After my second son was born, Portland, Oregon was my next adventure. After years of visiting good friends here, I fell in love with the city and made it a mission to set down roots. In all those years of weddings, my favorite part was the people: bringing out their personalities and making portraits and moments they’d love.

What I Photograph Now

I’m taking what I love most about photographing people and focusing on portraiture. Right now that means dating profile photos, corporate headshots, lifestyle headshots, high school seniors and branding photography for businesses. My mission is to show who you really are, while highlighting the best of you. I also have a fine art shop on Etsy, and I’d love you to check it out.

My Style

I describe my work as Editorial Photojournalism: a combination of traditional, timeless portraits and candid moments. My goal is to capture who you really are, at your best.

One piece of feedback I hear from clients is how comfortable I make them in front of the camera. Not many of us like being in front of a lens. I want to get to know who you actually are, so it’s easier for us to be ourselves and have a great time. I just happen to be holding a camera and snapping great images at the same time.

Travel

Have passport, will travel. I’ve traveled for photo jobs (Los Angeles, Portland, Toronto, Hawaii and Mexico, to name a few) and personally traveled much of the world, including Europe, India, Nepal, Vietnam, Japan and Hong Kong, and I’m game to go just about anywhere.

Do You Still Shoot Weddings?

Yes, selectively. I shot weddings and mitzvahs for 15 years in Los Angeles, usually around 35 a year, and I loved every one. Since moving to Portland, I’ve slowed down and shoot a handful of weddings a year, because I can’t quite give them up. See my [wedding page] to find out more.

How Long Have You Been a Photographer?

I started my first photography business in 2003, so a long time!

Can I Share Your Images?

Yes! I’m super happy for you to share my images on social media, with a few rules. Please always link back and give photo credit (I’m @jengreerphotography on both Facebook and Instagram). I don’t allow edits or filters on the images, but I’m happy to give you web-ready files to use. See my Copyright and Image Usage page for details.

Let’s Work Together

Ready to talk about your session? Get in touch, and I’ll be in touch within 24 hours. I’m based in SW Portland and serve the greater Portland area and Vancouver, Washington.



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