I have a recurring fantasy. A lot of trees, no cell service, a camera I'm only pointing at things that interest me personally. Nobody waiting on deliverables. No invoice.
And then I get on set and remember: I actually love this.
The Honest Version of the Tension
Commercial work asks you to be useful. Personal work asks you to be honest. Those aren't always the same thing, and pretending they are doesn't help anyone.
The tension is sharpest when I'm doing work that doesn't fit. A client whose values don't match mine. A brief that's pulling toward something generic. A shoot where I can feel myself executing instead of creating. Those are the days when the woods look most appealing.
The days it doesn't feel like tension at all are when a client hired me because of my specific vision, not in spite of it. When the brief has room to breathe. When the back-and-forth on set produces something better than either of us planned. Those days are why I stay.
What I've Figured Out (For Now)
The goal isn't to eliminate the commercial part. The goal is to build a practice where the commercial work is good enough, and true enough to who I am, that it doesn't hollow me out. Where I'm not spending creative energy performing someone else's version of what photography is supposed to look like.
That requires being honest with clients about what I'm good at and what I'm not. Saying no to some things. Doing the unglamorous work of finding clients who want what I actually make, not a version of it sanded down to fit a safer template.
I've been doing this long enough to know the difference between work that challenges me and work that diminishes me. I'm not always perfect at choosing, but I'm getting better.
What This Means If You're Looking to Hire
I'm not the right photographer for every project. I'm the right photographer for projects where you actually want a point of view, where you hired me because you've seen the work and you want more of that, not something safer.
If that's you, I'd genuinely love to work together. The woods can wait.
Take a look at the portfolio and reach out if it resonates. I'm always interested in talking to brands who want something real.
FAQ
How do commercial photographers maintain creative integrity?
By being selective about clients, honest about what they do best, and willing to say no to work that doesn't fit. The photographers who sustain long careers build practices around clients who value their specific vision.
What kinds of brands does Jillian Lenser work with?
Brands with a strong visual identity that want photography reflecting a genuine point of view. Her clients include consumer brands, wellness companies, beauty brands, and product-driven businesses at various scales.
How do you know if a photographer is the right fit for your brand?
Look at what they've made, not just what they're technically capable of. The best fit is a photographer whose existing portfolio already reflects something close to what you're trying to achieve.
Read more
/ How I Became a Commercial Photographer: From a Kodak Disposable to Shooting Global Brands
/ Sun Your Buns: What a Park Picnic Club Taught Me About Community
/ Recreating the Home Office: On-Location Product Photography for Logitech in Manhattan
/ Book Launch Photography and Corporate Headshots for Penguin Random House
/ How a TikTok Search Led to a Full Brand Shoot with Flewd Stresscare
/ Lifestyle Photography for Pacific Foods at People Inc.'s World Trade Center Office
/ On Location with Rifle Paper Co.: Photographing Travel Products in Manhattan
/ Multi-Week Shoots for Thymes and Capri Blue: Candles, Models, and Full Production
/ On Living in New York and Meeting the Most Interesting People
/ On Location with Hasbro: Photographing Play-Doh and Toys with Kids and a Video Team
/ Inside a L'Oreal Matrix Hair Shoot: Afters, Affidavits, and What It Takes
/ Shooting Dairy Queen's Social Campaign at K2 Studios: Mint Chip, Snowdrift, and Valentine's Day
/ The Outspoken Artist Podcast: What We Actually Talked About
/ Building Kaplan's Brand Asset Library: Employee Photography in Brooklyn and Fort Lauderdale
/ How TikTok Changed the Way Brands Find Photographers
/ On Location with Bissell: Lifestyle, Video, and UGC Photography for Pet Cleaning Products
/ Sparkling and Set-Styled: Social Content and GIF Photography for Waterloo Sparkling Water
/ What It Actually Takes to Run a Full Production Brand Shoot
/ On-Location Headshots for the Center for Reproductive Rights: Powerful, Real, and Human
/ What Becoming President of ASMP New York Actually Means
/ Behind the Lens: Photographing Assouline's Archive Library in Manhattan
/ Long-Term Brand Photography for Caribou Coffee: Lifestyle, Social, and In-Store Campaigns
/ Speaking at Index Space: Creative Showcase V5
External
Sigma / Travel the Alps with SIGMA’s Lightweight 18-50mm & 10-18mm Zoom Lenses
Sigma / Behind the Scenes on a Fashion Shoot with the Sigma BF
Sigma / Why I Choose SIGMA Zoom Lenses for Studio Photography
Sigma / A Fresh Look at Berlin Through the Sigma 12mm F1.4 DC Contemporary Lens