Mom takes photo hobby to Main Street studio

BELLE PLAINE — “It’s a lot of work,” said Jen Lewis. “I never imagined how much more work I was going to be putting in to this.”

Lewis is the owner of Jen Lewis Photography, a new studio opening on Main Street in Belle Plaine. She’s taken photos for clients as a stay-at-home mom, but this month she’s opening a storefront studio.

“I’ve always been interested in photography,” said Lewis. Her husband bought her a Nikon 3100 when their first daughter was born 10 years. He knew she had talent, said Lewis.

“I grew up in Blairstown,” said Lewis, but she spent her final year of high school in Wisconsin. She attended a graphic design school and learned how to use Adobe applications, a skill she used when she designed the logo for her new business.

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Lewis met her husband, Will Lewis, at Hawkeye Downs Speedway in Cedar Rapids. They were invited to the racetrack by friends. Will, from Peoria, Illinois, was working in Cedar Rapids at the time.

“I was still living in Wisconsin,” said Lewis, but the couple talked and texted long-distance, fell in love and married. They moved to Blairstown in 2013.

For 10 years, Lewis was a stay-at-home mom to four “beautiful and loud” children, she said. Three girls and a boy.

Photography was a mostly a hobby for Lewis, but she did have some people ask her to take photos for them.

“Last August I had a family reach out to me,” said Lewis. She photographed them, and realized she might want to do more professionally.

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“There’s an adrenaline rush when I do it,” Lewis said.

Lewis shot photos for Spotlight Dance Studio in Belle Plaine when the studio couldn’t find another photographer. The only request from the studio was that she have lighting, which she had.

“I actually had a newborn photo shoot that I did at home,” said Lewis, but she had children at home, and she didn’t have enough space for equipment. “I have a lot of lighting,” she said.

Her new studio space at 702 Main St., formerly home to Belle Plaine Community Development Corporation, gives Lewis plenty of space to be creative.

Lewis had invested in a Nikon D750, but says, “I should have gone with mirrorless right away.”

When she decided to open the storefront studio in Belle Plaine, Lewis spent the extra money to upgrade to a mirrorless Nikon Z8 and a 24-70mm lens.

Her mentor, the other Jenn Lewis — with two Ns — encouraged the move to mirrorless. Jenn Lewis, of North Carolina, told the Belle Plaine Jen Lewis that 90-93% of her shots are in focus since she went to mirrorless, Lewis said.

Lewis is also upgrading her lenses, buying a higher quality that produces sharper images. Out of 250 photos of baseball and softball players she photographed recently, only one was out of focus, she said.

“I have invested quite a bit,” said Lewis. She became an LLC in January, and half her equipment is new.

Lewis has learned a lot by trial and error and by attending workshops, including workshops with Jenn Lewis.

“If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be where I am,” Lewis said.

With so many photographers offering their services, Lewis knew she’d have to distinguish herself. She asked herself, “How do I set myself apart?”

Lewis constantly looks for things that will distinguish her from other photographers. For dance photos, she crated color gels so she can change the color of the backdrop to match the costumes.

Lewis keeps a selection of gowns for senior portraits. She also plans to offer complimentary hair and makeup.

“I want them not to worry about any of that,” Lewis said. She wants to spoil the seniors and give them confidence in front of the camera.

“It’s not about just having another photo session,” she said. She’s promoting the experience, an experience fun for mom and dad, too.

Lewis knows her style and what she enjoys.

“I probably won’t touch newborn photos,” Lewis said, but she enjoys photographing high school seniors and families. She hopes to branch into commercial photography and headshots.

“My biggest goal is personalizing each and every session,” Lewis said.

Her helps with some sessions as does her assistant, Heather Mangel, of Van Horne.

Jen Lewis Photography will host an open house Friday, Aug. 16 from 5:30-8 p.m. in conjunction with a ribbon cutting.

The studio is open by appointment. Call 319-359-9092 to schedule a session, or visit jenlewisphotography.com.