How Jen Hillenga Became a Dog Photographer | Get a Real Job

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Discover unconventional career paths and the creatives who make them in our premiere episode of Get a Real Job.

We’ve all seen those perfect captures of adorable pups on Instagram or lining the walls in a dog parents’ home. If you’ve ever wondered about the photographer behind those images – who are they? What’s their story? Do they really make a living doing this? – then look no further than Jen Hillenga.

Jen Hillenga is a professional dog photographer and owner of The Ways of the Dog – and yes, it pays the bills. In this installment of Get A Real Job, she walks through her career path from design student to online business owner to creative director to – you guessed it! – dog photographer. Learn how leaning into change, whether it was by choice (selling her business) or by force (the pandemic), has led Jen to a more fulfilling, creative, and lucrative career that (bonus!) lets her spend time with her own dogs and others.
Explore Jen’s story, take a walk through her workweek which includes everything from actually photographing dogs on the street and in-studio, to editing, sales, and admin, and get tips from the pro herself as she shares her puppy photo shoot tips. Then, if you’re feeling inspired to pick up your camera yourself, head over to Skillshare for countless classes on photography (pet, portrait, product, iPhone photography, landscapes, and more!)

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DOG PHOTOGRAPHER QUICK JUMP MENU

00:00 What Is a Dog Photographer? Meet Jen Hillenga & Her Subjects
01:20 What Makes a Great Dog Portrait
01:53 A Week in the Life of Jen
02:48 Jen’s Career Path
04:30 Growing Her Business on Instagram
05:49 Dog Photography By the Numbers
06:47 The Beauty of Career Contentment

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ABOUT JEN HILLENGA

Jen Hillenga is the Founder and Photographer behind The Ways of the Dog. With 25 years experience as a portrait photographer and educator, Jen has brought her own love of canines (ask her about her two pups Rocco and Nala!) to build her own thriving pet photography business capturing all of the wonderful and wacky personalities of New York City pets and their owners. Discover more here: https://www.thewaysofthedog.com/