When Katie invited me to speak at Creative Showcase V5 at Index Space, I spent real time figuring out what to say. The talks I remember, the ones that actually changed how I work, were never the tightest or most polished. They were the ones where someone told the truth about something they hadn't fully figured out yet.
I wanted to do that version.
What I Actually Said
I talked about community. Specifically what it looks like to build something in public as a creative, and why I think it matters more than most photographers treat it.
The working photographer is often an isolated figure. You're building something personal and putting it into a commercial context, which creates its own friction. The antidote to that isolation isn't a better strategy. It's people. Specific people who take the work seriously and tell you the truth about it.
What I Didn't Expect
The conversation after the talk went long. That's the sign that something landed, people wanting to keep going.
What kept coming up was the community thread. Not the tactics of it, but the feeling of it. The specific relief of finding people who care about the same things you do and being in a room with them regularly. That's what Creative Showcase does well. That's what Index Space makes possible.
Thank you, Katie, for building a room worth showing up for.
FAQ
What is Index Space? A creative venue and community hub in New York City, used for events, showcases, and gatherings across the creative industries.
What is Katie's Creative Showcase? A recurring event that brings together photographers, creatives, and industry professionals for talks, conversation, and community. V5 was the fifth iteration.
What does Jillian Lenser speak about? Community building, the business of commercial photography, mentorship, creative leadership, and the state of the photography industry, all from direct experience as a working photographer, ASMP New York president, and active community builder.
Available for Speaking
If you're putting together a panel, showcase, or event and want someone who will tell you something real, I'm interested. The topics I care about most: community building, the business of photography, what it actually looks like to build a creative practice that lasts, and where the industry is going from here.
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
/ On Being a Commercial Artist Who Keeps Thinking About Moving to the Woods
/ 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