Rosa Jeong began her photography journey in college with a point and shoot camera. It took her to where she is today: Owner of a “natural light content studio” in Miami Lakes. It’s where she teaches, specializes in maternity and family photo shoots for her Perfect Love Photography business and hosts The Light Collective for creative people or small business owners to rent the studio by the hour to make their own photos or content.
Jeong, 36, recalls taking pictures for friends and wanting to preserve memories while studying business at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers.
After she had her son Christopher, now 11, she realized that she wanted to turn her hobby into a full-time business.
It’s how Perfect Love Photography began in 2014, and she ventured into the world of weddings.
“[I met] a lot of entrepreneurs who were bakers, event planners, florists all that fun stuff and I had a background in business…,” Jeong said. “[They were] amazing at what they did…but terrible at the business side.”
She wanted to help those budding talented entrepreneurs sometimes struggled with pricing their products or presenting them.
“There was a gap,” Jeong said.
When she earned a master’s degree in marketing at Florida International University, she made it her focus to figure out how to help other business owners.
But that idea was put on the back burner when right before graduation, she learned she was pregnant with her daughter. Soon after Isabella, now 6, was born, COVID-19 hit the world.
During lockdown, “… The idea just came to me, ‘Why don’t you host a two-day workshop for photographers?’” Jeong said.
Her first space was on Bird Road. She taught photographers about the financial side of their ventures, the costs of doing business, marketing and how to deal with clients. She also held skills workshops, to teach newer photographers how to use their cameras.
“At the end of every day, I would have models come in and [photographers] would be able to practice hands-on,” Jeong said.
It’s where her photography community started and led to the creation of The Light Studio and its Light Collective.
After the landlord sold the building on Bird Road, she opened her new studio in Miami Lakes.
Jeong lives in Country Club with her husband Christopher Jeong, who recently joined the business, and their children.
The Light Studio is a clean white blank canvas for photographers, podcasters and business owners to shoot content, promotional materials and even host their own classes.
“I know it’s a need,” Jeong said. But her main focus is The Light Collective and getting those entrepreneurs together to build a community. Starting a new business can be lonely, and her space brings ambitious people together to make connections, work with others and also learn new techniques.
“Most entrepreneurs [don’t have co-workers],” Jeong said.
She taught a class about lighting in September, and in October hosted a fall-themed content creation day. In November, she hosted an entrepreneur version of Friendsgiving at the studio.
Her goals are to continue to grow the collective, bring creative businesspeople together and maintain a space that clients can use for their own projects while also expanding her photography business.
Jeong’s own work is clean, elegant and as befits her company’s name, is light filled.
Her subjects look happy and relaxed.
She provides wardrobe for them, and hair and makeup done by a professional, too.
For more information about rates and bookings visit LightStudioMiami.com or on Instagram, @LightStudioMiami or @PerfectLove Photography.