From Pandemic Pivot to Published Photographer: 5 Years Later with Jay Fisher

Five years ago, photographer Jay Fisher joined Raise the Anchor to share how an unexpected life change and a spontaneous “yes” to moving across the country transformed his world.

Back then, he had just landed in Nova Scotia, building Capture It Photography from the ground up. Today, Jay returns to reflect on what’s happened since that bold leap: from growing his business and opening his own studios to releasing his breathtaking book, Come From Away, a visual love letter to Nova Scotia and the people who inspire his work.

In this episode, we talk about collaboration vs. competition, why networking rooted in friendship matters more than sales, and the power of following your gut when life invites you to make a big move.

 Plus, Jay’s got the sweetest source of inspiration that keeps his creativity flowing. 

You can find Jay's websites here: captureit.photography and www.comefromawaywithacamera.ca

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Welcome to Raising Anchor, a podcast that explores what happens where we stop drifting and start confusing. I'm your host and listener each week. We dive into real raw stories of transformation. Moments where people dare to raise the anchor and change course. Whether you're navigating chronic illness, burnout, think-like fitness, or healing from an inside out, you'll find inspiration and truth here. On Raise the Anchor. This is your space for honesty, hope, and the courage to begin again. Let's raise the anchor and set your course. So this episode is brought to you by Temporary Expert Social Enterprise. It's not just a business, it's a movement. Thank you. Today on the show we have Jay Fisher.

SPEAKER_00 0:51

Hello.

SPEAKER_02 0:52

My absolute favorite photographer.

SPEAKER_00 0:54

Oh, I appreciate that.

SPEAKER_02 0:55

Sorry, Allison. Different photography, different people.

SPEAKER_00 1:00

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 1:01

So for headshots, you're the man.

SPEAKER_00 1:04

I try to be anyway.

SPEAKER_02 1:05

And apparently for podcast studios, you're also the man.

SPEAKER_00 1:08

Yeah, that's cool. I'm um I'm I'm really excited that um this space out here is starting to get used as intended. Um I was I was in a, as you know, I was in a a much smaller studio and I had all these ideas and grand plans, but um moving into here we were really able to intentionally design it sort of from from the ground up. So um the the idea was always that this was going to be uh space that was accessible for podcasting, for video production, for people to just come in and and kind of have a DIY you know experience or or you know do the projects because we're we're not trying to be pod starter who do a fantastic job, you know, not trying to not trying to be a full service um production studio, but I you know I know a lot of people who um they they have an idea of what they're doing, they know how they want to take it from there, they're happy to do the you know the post-production themselves, but just really need a a space to record in where somebody isn't going to wander into the kitchen and start making dinner in the background.

SPEAKER_02 2:16

That'd be me. That's why we're here. Um, because I definitely have a busy life. So I'm gonna take us back. I love having you back on the show because the last time we've known each other for what, four or five years now?

SPEAKER_00 2:28

Yeah, um uh yeah, almost five years.

SPEAKER_02 2:30

Which is crazy to me because it feels like I've known you forever. When we last spoke, you had just moved from Toronto to here. Uh it was in the middle of a pandemic, and you didn't really have much of a business at the time. You were just really getting into your networking. You were working out of your living room. What has changed in these last five years since I last had you on?

SPEAKER_00 2:52

Oh good lord, what hasn't changed? Um Yeah. Uh I you have a studio. I have a studio. I'm I'm on my second studio, which is kind of cool. Um I think I I've just really been able to find community here. And um community's always been very important to me just growing up. Um it's it's always been a big thing with with my family as well. Uh and and uh you know, once once people were allowed to get out from behind the the computer screens and and meet in public. But I mean, yeah, you know, even before that, I I spent lots of time going to every online networking thing I could for a while. And uh and and then of course, yeah, once we were allowed to go back out and interact and meet people, just really having that that face-to-face contact, um, being able to have those interactions and and just building up that uh you know that that community of of different people, of different business owners, of of of different friends. Um I've uh I've I've published a book um since last time we spoke. It's a beautiful book, Mike. Thank you. Uh it's called Come From Away with a camera. And that came about because three years into being here, I realized I had thousands of photos of Nova Scotia because it's so flipping beautiful here and had no idea what to do with them. So it a year later after that it it turned into this book and it's uh photos from all around the province.

SPEAKER_02 4:19

And it's it's it's a really nice book for people who even live here in Nova Scotia because as much as we're here all the time, we might not see the beauty. And so having somebody from away come from away, love it, um, show us the beauty of our own province really speaks volumes to what we're just kind of ignoring every day.

SPEAKER_00 4:43

And and I I totally get it because uh I mean, you know, I lived in Ontario and I hadn't realized I hadn't really traveled through a lot of Ontario until the last few years that I was there. And I mean it's also a beautiful province. There's some just breathtaking sites, um, but living sort of in that in that GTA golden horseshoe hub, it can be a little bit, you know, you're sort of stuck in that like the big city mentality. Uh and you know, you really have to go up. But the the difference is that in in Nova Scotia I can travel for 15, 20 minutes, and I've got lakes and I've got forests, and I've got, you know, all this natural beauty. And in Toronto I travel for 15, 20 minutes and I'm around the block.

SPEAKER_02 5:26

I know. Uh speaking of Toronto and Nova Scotia, uh big city to country. Moving here, do you find that you know your neighbors more than you did in Toronto? Or do you find that it's just such a different fraud you can't even compare them?

SPEAKER_00 5:45

I think I I I do know some of my neighbors more, and I think that's partially because the the community that we moved into. I mean, there's the there are community events, there's the community Facebook page, and you know, but just like anywhere, I'm I'm I'm not besties with everyone. There's some people that I see more than others. Um I uh I find that um I have almost a bit more of a desire to get out of the work rut here uh and go and spend time with people and build those those connections. Um and that's just partially because I mean, even driving from home to here and and seeing the the basin, it's you know, it's just I I don't I don't know that I'll ever get tired of that. Um so but uh you sort of on that one of the the big differences that I've noticed being here is that people are um more likely to just meet for coffee, more likely to just have that conversation. You know, um my my business has grown based on relationships, not about selling. Um, and I'm sure some business coach is going to tell me I'm doing things, you know, completely backwards. But um but I don't I don't really sell when I talk to people. I actually, you know, when when we go out for coffee, I'm not sitting there waiting for the pitch to drop. You know, we're we're there and we're we're building a rapport. And uh again, I'm not going to be besties with everyone, but at least there's that sort of sense of familiarity when I when I see people. So I don't feel like I'm I'm walking to a room full of strangers where everyone's like, here, buy my thing, here, buy my thing.

SPEAKER_02 7:23

Well, I honestly feel like if anybody looks at your work at all, you don't have to sell. You just have to show them. Like you just here you go. That's all you get. Um, we showed a few people your studio today, and they can instantly see like what that person is exuding in that photo. Um, like the bossy one.

unknown 7:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:45

Um and they want to be a leader, like that's perfect. If you want to be a strong leader, you need to be able to show that. And you are able to perfectly capture that.

SPEAKER_00 7:54

Appreciate that. Um, my my thing is I I really do my best to honor the person in front of me. And, you know, my golden rule of headshots is the person in the photo is the same person walking in the room. So, you know, if you're if you're just if you're not a smiley person, I'm not gonna try and get you to give me a big toothy smile on the photo. It's just it's going to feel off, right? And then somebody's gonna see that photo and they're going to expect kind of a certain energy and then come into the room and wonder, like, oh, did I piss this person off? Like, is what's what's going on here? You know, and and vice versa. If you're a big smiley person and and somebody is expecting, you know, that there's gonna be that disconnect once uh when somebody walks in.

SPEAKER_02 8:39

So before you were just trying to get your name known. How do you feel five years later your name and brand is here in Nova Scotia?

SPEAKER_00 8:49

Great. Um, I I I love that um, you know, as as I've grown with the the the brand and the business over the few years, you know, I I realize that um capture it photography really is a business brand. Um most of my clients are either business owners or entrepreneurs. I mean, I you know, I work with with actors, I work with performers, I work with a lot of people, but um a lot of the the services um really do revolve around business, you know, business branding, corporate events, uh that sort of thing. So I've um uh I've actually added kind of different brands for other kinds of photography. So uh for example, this this weekend I was uh doing photography for a dance school and uh love it. I I love shooting dance, it's one of my favorite things, but that also doesn't fit with the capture photography brand. So, you know, there's J Fisher Photo or J Fisher Photography, which is more of the, you know, the dance, the performing arts, the the family stuff, the the creatives, because amazingly, as much as I do like honestly love headshots, I didn't buy a camera, you know, 10 years ago thinking that I was going to just do headshots. I bought a camera because it's um it's uh uh it's an artistic medium, it's a way of storytelling, and and and that's the it's it's really what I've what I've always loved about photography is that it's it's that it's that snapshot, and that snapshot really needs to tell a story.

SPEAKER_02 10:22

And you do a beautiful job on that.

SPEAKER_00 10:24

Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 10:25

Uh when we last spoke, you talked about how you were the lighting guy or the audio guy. Um you didn't you weren't as much behind the lens, you were more doing like how people can look good behind the lens. Uh, and you completely left that and now you're doing like behind the lens. Has it morphed into more than just behind the lens? Have you gotten back into the arts world a lot more? Or are you just doing here and there things?

SPEAKER_00 10:53

Um, I mean, in in in a in a way, I actually still see myself as the lighting guy because photography is so much about lighting. Um and now I just I have different lights that I play with. But, you know, whether it's whether it's for for my headshots, which I've you know kind of nailed down the lighting for that for the most part, um, or you know, I move into doing branding, and then we can talk about lighting in a different way. Um and uh it I I find it it it's really kind of integral to to how the photos come across, right? And and knowing knowing what light does and how to modify it and and and where to use what. Um, you know, I I I do a little bit back in in the the the sort of event production world or technical production, not a ton. Um and honestly, the the main reason, thankfully, uh it's because capture it has grown to the point where I'm I'm just I'm too busy to take on a lot of those other projects.

SPEAKER_02 11:58

Because you are the headshot for people who hate having their photo taken. I love that tagline. It's like so fitting because I absolutely hate being on camera. I absolutely hate having my photo taken, although I take selfies all the time for my brand because I have to. Um you just make everybody feel comfortable in doing that. Um, I wanted to touch on the point that you have a network of other photographers that you work with.

SPEAKER_00 12:22

I do, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:23

Because you all have different expertise. That's why I said sorry, Allison, before, because she is amazing at brand photography. She is. Yeah. She's like, she's the one you go to for brand.

SPEAKER_00 12:33

She's fantastic. And and you know, um uh she's got a really fantastic, um, like bright, airy kind of style, which I know a lot of people love. Um, and you know, I have a I have a different style, and then some people might gravitate to that and some people might not. But uh, you know, Allison and I have been, we've referred work back and forth for about as long as we've known each other. Um I know a bunch of other photographers locally that um, you know, do amazing family photography, or um, you know, are my like go-to event photography referrals or you know, wedding photography, which um I I mean I I can do. I don't love doing it, so I would much rather give that work to somebody who absolutely loves it, but also somebody who like that is that is their business model. And then, you know, people will refer headshots to me, or people will call me up and say, oh, hey, I can't do this corporate event. Are you available? Um there is enough work for you know for everyone to to to really make a living and and to really have a business, assuming you're able to run a business, because it that's that's really what it comes down to uh in a lot of cases. Um but I also my you know my network of photographers also uh stretches, I mean, almost worldwide. I know, I know photographers right across Canada, I know photographers into into the US, and I've referred business to photographers in different cities. So, you know, there's a a couple people in Ottawa that I know that if somebody is going to Ottawa um and is in need of a photographer, I'll give them a shout and you know, and make that connection. Or um folks in um, you know, in in BC or in Quebec or in Detroit or Florida or California or the Netherlands. Like I, you know, I I have that network of photographers that I've been able to build over the years, and and I love that because I I love being able to refer somebody knowing that they're going to have an awesome experience because this other person is fantastic.

SPEAKER_01 14:45

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SPEAKER_02 15:46

Because I wanted to touch on that, is it's not competition. It's more a collaboration between you guys. And I know in the past, photographers have been like butting heads. I do headshots, I do headshots, I do this, I do that. And then they see somebody else growing in the ranks and they're like, I want a piece of that, I do all of that too. And it doesn't necessarily bring out the proper work.

SPEAKER_00 16:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:11

So you have a network of people who are specialized, who do amazing things, but you're not going to take that from them, which is I I don't know. I love that piece.

SPEAKER_00 16:22

Yeah, I mean, other photographers uh the as far as I'm concerned, they're my colleagues, right? They're like, yes, we're in the same industry. Sure, we, you know, there are services that overlap, you know, and absolutely I've bid on the same projects as other photographers that I know. That's fine. That's just we're we're running a business, but we're also not running businesses from a scarcity mentality, right? So um I would rather concentrate on the jobs that I know I'm going to absolutely nail. And the ones that I'm less sure about, even though I can do them, I would rather refer that person to another photographer and have that photographer nail it. And then that client knows that I have their best interest at heart.

SPEAKER_02 17:06

Which I love because that builds more trust and support and and community. If you could go back five years and speak to yourself before the life-changing moment, before you left Toronto, what would you say to yourself? Leave Toronto. Leave Toronto? Would you say leave sooner, or would you say just do it?

SPEAKER_00 17:25

I mean, I think, you know, things, things sometimes just happen when when they need to. Um and and I'm not I'm not crapping on Toronto. It is, it's a fantastic city. I spent most of my life there. Um there's amazing opportunities. Um I felt that I was, I was just, I was in a little bit of a rut. Um and I needed I needed some distance from from that energy, from the from the noise. I needed somewhere that was a little bit more community-oriented, a little more relationship focused. Um I needed to, yeah, just just have that breathing room to to re-examine things and and decide, you know, and and kind of decide what it is that I wanted to do. And you know what? If I had if I had left five years before that, I I probably wouldn't be in in photography the way I am today. It just I was I was at that point where that part was was growing, and I and the more I was doing it, the more I was loving it. Um and I, you know, realized, I mean, after we moved here, that I don't really want to go back into events full-time. I really want to do this photography thing. And um yeah, I I just you know, trust that um that uh things will things will work out the way they need to. Um and you know, be you be you meet people, develop those relationships, but um but yeah, don't don't be afraid to leave.

SPEAKER_02 18:54

So what advice would you give to those who are feeling stuck, who are feeling in that I need a change, but I don't know what to do, and I'm too scared to do it.

SPEAKER_00 19:06

Don't be afraid to niche. Don't be afraid to niche down. You you don't have to and and as counterintuitive as it sounds, you don't have to be all things to all people. You don't have to do all of the things just because you can. Um find find the thing that um that really like gets you fired up to get up and and get out of bed. Um I mean, and yes, you know, keeping like finances and real life and all that jazz like in mind because you don't need to do that.

SPEAKER_02 19:38

We have endless money.

SPEAKER_00 19:40

Um but but that's the thing, like I mean, you know, yes, it like this is this is my this is my my job, this is what I do, this is my work, but it's also the thing that I love to do. Like I do this in my spare time. Um and and on that note, find something that you love enough to. Suck at.

SPEAKER_02 20:02

Ah, that's an interesting thing to think of.

SPEAKER_00 20:05

Right. Like I look back at my photography from eight, ten years ago, and I'm like, what the crap was I thinking?

SPEAKER_02 20:11

But to the the untrained eye like myself, it probably looks amazing.

SPEAKER_00 20:15

And maybe it does. And and maybe I thought it was amazing, and I look at it later and I'm like, oh no, I understand why I wasn't more successful then. Because you know, because because I was I was learning. Uh but I love photography enough to suck at it. Um and and I love it enough that when I try new types of photography, I can suck at that initially, but but the you know, I can I can work on it and and develop and and and really like I mean just get better at it.

SPEAKER_02 20:45

I love that. I so love that thought. Process. Suck it. Be willing to suck at it. Absolutely. Because if you look at any of your work, you definitely don't suck at any part of it. Appreciate that. So if there's ever a part that you felt you sucked, you definitely don't. Um what does a brighter future look like for you today and how is it different from what you imagined before?

SPEAKER_00 21:05

Um honestly, I I don't know that there's a lot of difference. Um overall, I I want to continue to grow my business to the point where I'm able to find better work-life harmony because work-life balance is a BS concept.

SPEAKER_02 21:24

It so is. Those people that say they start a business and work nine to five Monday to Friday, for the lack of a better word, that's shit.

SPEAKER_00 21:32

Yeah. Um, so yeah, uh I want to I want that that that harmony. I want to um be able to come in because I want to. I mean I do, but like not because, you know, like there's obligations. I want to be able to leave for a couple weeks and not worry about um having to catch up on everything or or constantly check my emails while I'm away. So it's just it's really I'm I'm I'm working at building something where I can find that that harmony where I still do this that I still have this career that I love, but I'm I'm able to have more of my own life in there as well.

SPEAKER_02 22:10

Yeah, because you have worked a lot. We shared an office for a while in your last studio, and you work a lot and you do it alone a lot of the time. So you do have a partner who helps, um, which leads me into how does your support system or lack of one, which we we know you have an amazing support system, shape how you work?

SPEAKER_00 22:33

Um you know, uh my my partner Ashley is incredible. Um but she's also an entrepreneur, she's also busy. But we we know that when when push comes to shove, we're we're there for each other. Um uh I you know one of the things that I've really been looking at doing more and more is what can I outsource? You know, um, and and really like by freeing up X number of hours a week, what can I be doing with those hours that that just it makes a whole lot more sense to do? You know, so um finding a a retoucher that I absolutely love, um, who will spend the time getting rid of all the little blemishes and flyaways and and all that jazz from photos so that while I can do it and I do it great, I don't have to do that. Um finding a bookkeeper so that I'm not spending however much time, you know, just trying to track down receipts and put things into columns, um, starting to looking for for, you know, what I can what I can outsource, I uh yeah, I had a co-op student that I worked with a couple years ago who's amazing. And, you know, I can still send her stuff to do. I can say, you know, hey, I've got these projects coming up. Can you just log back into the CRM or can you send out these emails? And just, you know, the the the time that that frees up, it's I mean, it's it the cost becomes negligible. Um and so that's a thing that I'm learning to do is is to let go of all of these things. Um, because you know, when you're in your own business, everything is yours to do or delegate. So I have to remember that there's also the delegate, delegate part of that um phrase that uh that really needs to get done more.

SPEAKER_02 24:26

And I love that for you because working with you before, I know you're a little bit like myself, a little bit of perfectionist. You like to like have that whole piece to yourself and giving that out feels like you're losing a piece of yourself. So I I love hearing your that mindset.

SPEAKER_00 24:40

Yeah, well it's you know, very often enough perfect is the enemy of done.

SPEAKER_02 24:44

Um so where can the anchor crew follow up or connect with you more?

SPEAKER_00 24:49

Um capture it.photography on the website on the on the interwebs or um at uh capture it. What is it? I should know this. Um right here on the okay. Um or at capture it.photog on Instagram, um, Facebook, LinkedIn, all the all that jazz. Uh the book is at come from away with a camera.ca and uh and then there's uh JFisher photography for um for all the stuff that doesn't fit into uh in into the capture it brand.

SPEAKER_02 25:27

And with that book they can also buy stills, right?

SPEAKER_00 25:30

Yes, uh yeah, all the images are available um uh as print online.

SPEAKER_02 25:35

Love that. My favorite question is who or what inspires you?

SPEAKER_00 25:41

Um my partner Ashley uh inspires me. Um I I mean yes, I'm a little biased, but um truly I think she's an incredible person. Um she's she keeps me grounded and um she helps keep keep my my my you know my eyes sometimes like a little bit more based in in reality, but um she's just an incredibly capable, very driven person. Um she just genuinely cares about what she does and constantly impresses me and um I'm you know I feel like I'm I'm learning from her every day. So I'm very fortunate that way.

SPEAKER_02 26:24

Love that. Well, I thank you for coming back on the show. My pleasure. I look forward to following your journey as it grows.

SPEAKER_00 26:30

Likewise. Thanks. Right.

SPEAKER_02 26:32

Bye. Well for tuning in to Grace the Anchor. If today's episode spoke to you, share it with a friend or leave a review. It helps more people find their way to healing and oak. Follow along on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube for behind the scenes extra content and real life moments. And be sure to join the email list at link treeslash graze the anchor so you never miss an episode. Until next time, here's the calm waters, steady winds, and the courage to chart your own course.