WELL, HELLO THERE!
My name is Jill Helberg and I am a natural light photographer based in Northwest Ohio who specializes in portrait and candid photography. Of course, that's not where my story begins. I was born and raised in South Toledo where I lived with my older sister and one hard working single Mama. She filled our home with laughter, taught me to be kind, but tough, and is probably why I'm a business owner today. I have 5 beautiful children, and an amazingly supportive husband. You'll probably find one of them assisting me at one of our sessions. I am absolutely in LOVE with this city and it's people. Yes, that means I proudly drive a Jeep, I root for the Walleye, and I'm a huge fan of the Christmas Weed. This place is where I fell in love with Jesus and where I've made so many memories. My likes include a variety of coffee, good music, cheap wine, snuggling with my fur ladies Sydney and Charlie, strumming a guitar, binge watching Gilmore Girls, advocating for recovering addicts and mental health, eating tacos, and simple moments with the fam. I'm a sucker for a good love story and although I'm an introvert, I'm usually up for anything. I've learned to love my little quirks such as my crooked teeth, my ability to injure myself on the daily, and my need to make a list for just about everything. My dislikes include spiders (or pretty much any critters traveling with an unnatural amount of legs), driving directions, waking up early (before the variety of coffee), mean people, and self criticism (still my very worst enemy). When I'm not taking photos, I'm processing insurance claims for Medical Mutual at home.
My love for photography began about 12 years ago when I became a Mom to my gorgeous daughter, Grace. I couldn't afford professional photos so I was determined to take them myself. So, instead, I invested in my first DSLR Canon Rebel and followed her around for months. I read a ton of books (youtube wasn't popular yet) and started taking photos for everyone I could. Before I knew it, people I never met were asking me to take their pictures and well... here I am. Of course, there were a lot of mistakes and lessons in between,...but you get the picture (...see what I did there).
My goal is always to have every person leave a shoot feeling good about themselves. For me, it's not just about taking a good photo. Anyone can do that if given the proper training, tools, and lighting. But, I want them to love THEMSELVES in the image. I want them to see how they look through my eyes and more importantly, God's eyes. Every person is beautiful. You just have to capture it. I want them walking away calling me their friend and knowing that they truly matter. If your session isn't a positive experience, then I haven't done my job. I tend to be super sensitive and I get emotionally attached to every shoot I do and every person I interact with and for me, that is what truly makes a great photographer.
Feel free to take a gander at the rest of my site. Check out my work. Like what you see? Well, what are you waiting for...click the Let's talk button and Holla at your girl!