I eat so much raw salmon that I probably have mercury poisoning, I have two kids (love ‘em), and a lot of frequent flyer miles.

I graduated from NYU back in 2000 and took off to Madrid with a one-way ticket and few (no) plans. I guess I’ve always been avoiding getting a “real” job. I wandered back to NYC almost a year later and started a band (I don’t know??)…still avoiding getting a day job. I eventually decided to grow up and landed an exec position at a marketing agency in Manhattan and had a 401k and insurance - very adult-y.

After about a year and a half into my corporate career of moving up in the world and dreading Monday mornings, every raise I got felt like a nail in my creative coffin. One day, I was given a promotion and knew I had to quit. I couldn’t spend my life doing things that fueled someone else’s dreams more than mine. And with every dollar more they gave me, the deeper I’d get stuck in that place that so clearly didn’t belong to me. So I quit and wasn’t quite sure what to do next, but I somehow knew it was the right thing. It’s the most equally scary/best thing I’ve done besides give birth.

So, I picked up a camera and photographed every human that would let me and worked my way into wedding photography. And so, in 2011, my official career in photography began.

I’ve gotten to photograph hundreds of weddings, thousands of faces, and dozens of commercials. I’m fascinated by the insane and the mundane, and the truth that it’s all worth exploring.

These days, I live in LA with my husband and kids (and our Siberian Husky rescue, Banksy) but work bi-coastally between LA & NYC for shoots.

My weddings website is www.jacquelinepattonphoto.com.