Meet Chloe Jackman, the Unicorn Photographer of San Francisco
/
Shirt by Omaze, Photo by From SF With Love
“Calling all shapes, sizes, colors, vibes, and unicorns! It’s your story, baby, tell it your way.”
Meet the Unicorn Photographer, Chloe Jackman.
She’s based in the Bay Area, and she is a multifaceted photographer “with freckles, a fro, some glitter and sass.”
“Let’s talk about real love,” she says, getting straight to the point. “I want couples to tell their story their way. However your wedding looks, it’s your chance to express yourselves as a couple, and it’s beautiful.” Chloe took her own advice. See her amazing destination party later this week.
“As a wedding photographer, I believe that it's important to capture REAL LOVE. It's important for everyone to have representation. I want to provide a model for those looking at wedding content online that is real and like them.” She shares a call to action for all engaged couples, “I challenge you to draw outside the lines, forget about the metaphorical rules, and do as much or as little as what everyone else is doing.”
Chloe’s personality is totally magnetic; she’s someone you want to know and be around in hopes that you might catch just a little of her magic. In her own words, “I’m not a wallflower photographer. I’m in the mix laughing, crying, and dancing right along with you and your favorite people.” That sounds like reason alone to get Chloe on your wedding team. She laughs, “Now don’t get me wrong, I know when it’s time to disappear into the background, but when it’s not that time…let’s have a blast because after all, this is one of the most epic days of your life, and I promise the love and laughter will be flowing!!”
So we wanted to know the backstory. How did this awesome lady come to start her own business as a wedding photographer? “Naturally I began my photography career by majoring in undergraduate law.” She laughs, “No seriously, I did.” She continues, “Anywho, I graduated from UCSB where I discovered damn beautiful sunsets and my complete obsession with chasing them all over town. Hence my original name, ‘Chasing Sunsetz.’ I added the z because at the time, I thought it was cool.” We have to admit, that’s pretty cool.
“After college, I found myself traveling a bit, and I went to Thailand where I took a few pretty sweet pics, came home, put them up in a café or two, sold one, then got excited. I took a couple more, sold a few more, and then it hit me…Ansel Adams currently had this market cornered, so maybe I should try people. After all, I’m pretty damn good with people.” Okay, this story is getting better and better. “Fast forward 13 years, and here I am.” She finishes the story with the epic statement, “I was born to do this.”
To this day, she has been able to incorporate travel into her photography: “I love a good adventure and have shot weddings and engagements all over. From Fiji, to Mexico three times, to Texas, Montana, Chicago, Mendocino, San Diego…one of my all-time favorite weddings was definitely in Fiji because it was a traditional Fijian wedding, and it blew my mind!” While she shoots mostly locally in San Francisco, she is always excited and willing to travel: “Seriously, call me.”
In addition to being a super fun and vibrant person, Chloe proudly and loudly supports equality. Earlier this year, Chloe gave away a free wedding to a gay couple who decided to move up their wedding date due to the political climate, in addition to donating to the Trevor Project. In other words, she backs up her values with her time, resources, and money. “I proudly and excitedly support love for everyone because Love Trumps Hate and because it’s everyone’s right.”
When asked what three ingredients are necessary for her to have a great day as a photographer, she didn’t hesitate and said, “an open mind, that feel-good-all-over love, and your dancing shoes (or barefeet, what ever works for you…I was for sure barefoot at my wedding).”
What we particularly love about Chloe is that she isn’t trying to be anyone but herself. She owns her space. When we asked her about her approach, she said, “I’ve come to the realization that I’m no longer worried about how I’m different or better than anyone else. I think way more about how I’m unique and true to myself…I’m really enjoying it.”
If Chloe sounds like your photographer soulmate, you can book an elopement package with her starting at $600. Full wedding packages start around $4,000. “But here’s the deal, errrrthang is customizable.” If you mention this post when booking, Chloe will offer you a complimentary engagement photo session and a guest book. Pretty sweet, right?
When asked if there was anything else she would like to share, she said, “I really do love unicorns—I always have. I used to have an imaginary unicorn/Pegasus that would swoop in and save me when I was a kid. I hope you can keep a secret; I’ve never really told anyone about that.” Your secret’s safe with Catalyst, Chloe.
