Jordyn Photography

Jordyn Volk’s start in photography was unexpected. Originally from Grand Forks, ND, her first glimpse of photography was through her parents and was further explored in a film photography class, an elective required for her degree in graphic design. From there, Jordyn’s passion blossomed.

Her career began with weddings, but that only lasted long enough to raise money for a school trip to Scotland. While she was in college, she would mainly photograph families, building her portfolio and laying the groundwork for her business. When Jordyn moved to Aberdeen, she needed to make new connections to continue her passion.

“I didn’t do much photography when I moved to Aberdeen. I didn’t know anyone, and at first, it was a hard place to open up a business without growing up around the area. I was lucky enough to have a few families trust me and help me get my foot in the door and name known in the community,” Jordyn said.

Jordyn Photography has transformed since her arrival in Aberdeen. Within a year, she opened her first studio. She currently manages a successful photography business while balancing another job in graphic design and starting her own family.

Jordyn specializes in newborn, maternity, and family photography, but her transition to newborn photography, specifically, wasn’t an easy journey. She started to offer newborn sessions about five years ago but pressed pause a few times because she did not have the experience in posing and soothing newborns during shoots that she knew she needed.

“Being around babies was never an issue. I was always comfortable around them, but when it comes to posing them, it’s a whole different ball game,” Jordyn said.

Learning how to read the babies and position them safely and comfortably took practice, but Jordyn didn’t shy away from the challenge. In fact, she embraced it.

“At first, taking baby photos was about getting lucky if he or she would sleep and then getting a couple shots with a bunch of stuff around them. Now, I see it as more of an art, and I took a lot of educational classes,” Jordyn said. “I needed to take my business one step further, and I knew that investing in myself would be the only way that my business could grow.”

Jordyn has traveled to workshops in Arizona, Minneapolis, and even Canada, expanding both her knowledge in newborn photography and network of other skilled photographers.

“It’s a very, very small world when you get to know people in the photography community. I can’t just go and ask my husband what he thinks of an image because he will just say it looks the same as all the other ones I’ve taken,” she laughed. “It’s nice to have a family of creatives.”

Using those experiences and methods from the workshops, Jordyn developed a seamless process for the baby, parents, and herself. Crafting her workflow from start to finish involves practice, prep work, and patience.

All parents of the newborns receive a guide from Jordyn to ensure the baby is fed and relaxed before the session. While the parents are prepping the newborn, Jordyn is prepping her studio for seven fully styled sets. In most cases, the preparation leads to a smooth session, but from time to time, a newborn does become fussy. Education, experience, and unlimited patience helps Jordyn calm the baby for a successful shoot.

With the help of white noise, a warm studio, and her assistant, Shantell, Jordyn’s workflow is rarely disrupted.

Not only does Jordyn know how to care for a fussy child, but also creating a comforting space for the newborn minimizes any worries from the parents. And her studio is designed to match areas found in a home, so it’s hard not to relax when you step in the door.

“I try to make a comfortable, relaxing space. From the moment they walk through the door, they are able to hand over the baby, put their feet up, and even take a nap,” Jordyn said.

The time and investment in herself really paid off for Jordyn. She received the Aberdeen News Readers’ Choice Award for Best Photographer three years in a row, and she also won the 2020 People’s Choice Abby Award presented by the Chamber of Commerce. Both achievements were awards voted by people in the community, which speaks volumes to her interactions with her clients.

“[I am] incredibly grateful for the community. It’s not really about me. It’s about them—that they were able to take time out of their busy lives to go vote for me, my business, my family. I will forever give back to my clients for entrusting me and supporting me,” Jordyn said.

The community behind her and loyalty from her clients has helped Jordyn reach yet another impressive milestone in her career. On Oct. 29, 2021, Jordyn photographed her 1,000th and 1,001st newborns (twins), an accomplishment that Jordyn was able to reach in less than five years since focusing on newborn photography. “My community is wonderful,” she said.

And based on the love and support on her social media pages, awards based on votes from individuals in the community, and a growing business, it is fair to say that the community feels the same about Jordyn.

Lindsay Habeck, a client of Jordyn’s, said, “I am admired by Jordyn’s work ethic and commitment to her clients. She juggles working full-time, taking photos of beautiful families and babies, while managing her own household. … Jordyn has true passion and talent, and it doesn’t go unnoticed.”

The same care that Jordyn shows for her clients is evident in the time she commits to her photography. Most of her time is actually not spent in her sessions, but rather on her computer, editing the images. She mentioned that photographing the newborns and families is just the beginning. It is her editing that distinguishes her work from other newborn photos.

“Computers have always been easy for me. Finalizing my work with my specific editing style makes it my own. When someone sees an image, I don’t want them to double take on who took it. I want them to look at it and know it’s a Jordyn Photography image,” Jordyn said.

The edits that Jordyn applies to her images is her signature as an artist. Without the changes, Jordyn sees her images as unfinished art.

“Each and every photographer has their own style when it comes to editing. We all put a ton of time into post-processing our photos,” Jordyn said.

Jordyn’s passion for photography is rooted in capturing life’s moments and being able to help parents document their baby’s milestones.

“When booking a session with me, I want it to be a one-of-a-kind, easy experience all around. I don’t want you to feel as though you are going to a strange place to get your photos taken. I want every single person that steps in front of my camera to enjoy it, even the dads,” Jordyn added with a smile. //

You can find more of Jordyn’s newborn, maternity, and family photography online:

Website: www.jordynphotography.com

Facebook: Jordyn Photography Aberdeen SD

Instagram: jordynphotographyaberdeensd