Today we’d like to introduce you to Jade Stoner.
Hi Jade, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
If you had asked me years ago what I thought my life would look like, I definitely wouldn’t have described what I’m doing now. There was never some big master plan. I just kept following the things I loved, taking opportunities when they came, and creating my own when they didn’t.
I’ve been modeling for over 10 years, and that world became a much bigger part of my life than I ever expected. Eventually I picked up a camera and found another side of myself. Jaded Focus Photos grew from that, and photography gave me a completely different way to be creative. I’ve been lucky enough to have my work published multiple times and shoot everything from boudoir and fashion to cosplay and alternative concepts, but some of my favorite moments have nothing to do with getting published or creating the perfect photo. They’re the moments when someone sees themselves differently because of something we created together.
That’s probably why teaching and working with models became such a big part of my life too. After spending years in front of and behind the camera, I realized I had a lot I could give back. Whether I’m coaching someone through their first shoot, helping them understand the industry, or just reminding them that they don’t have to look or act like everyone else to belong in it, that part of what I do means a lot to me.
Somewhere in the middle of all of that, I also became the person who runs things behind the scenes. Studio operations, scheduling, organizing people, solving problems, creating businesses. Apparently I have a hard time seeing an empty space without wondering what I could build there. And I’ve built a lot.
Some things worked exactly how I hoped. Some absolutely did not. I’ve changed directions, started over, learned things the hard way, trusted the wrong people, met some amazing ones, and probably taken on more than any sane person would recommend. But I wouldn’t trade the journey for a safer one.
I’m also a mom and a fiancé, and at the end of the day those are the parts of my life that keep everything else grounded. I can spend the day managing a business, planning a shoot, photographing someone, modeling, or helping someone else chase their own goals, and then I go home and I’m just Jade.
I think for a long time I felt like I needed to figure out which one of these things I was supposed to be. Eventually I realized I don’t. Photography, modeling, teaching, business, creating, managing, being a mom… none of them cancel the others out. They’re all pieces of me.
My story isn’t really about finding one thing and becoming successful at it. It’s about giving myself permission to keep becoming whoever I want to be next.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I think one of my biggest struggles has been learning how to balance how much of myself I give to everything.
When I care about a person, a project, or a business, I tend to go all in. I’ll give my time, energy, knowledge, connections, and whatever else I can to help something succeed. One of the harder lessons has been realizing that not everyone gives that same energy back.
I’ve dealt with being underestimated, feeling left out of spaces I helped build, working incredibly hard behind the scenes without always feeling seen for it, and having to walk away from people or situations I genuinely cared about because they were no longer good for me or helping me grow.
There have also been plenty of moments of self doubt. I’ve questioned whether I was good enough, whether an idea was going to work, or whether I was completely insane for taking on yet another thing.
Balancing everything is another constant challenge. Being a mom and fiancé while also modeling, photographing, teaching, managing, and building businesses means there are definitely days where I’m not gracefully balancing anything. I’m just catching things before they hit the floor.
I’ve failed at things. I’ve trusted the wrong people. I’ve had ideas that didn’t work and relationships that changed. I’ve had to start over and rebuild my confidence more than once.
But I think those experiences have also taught me some of the most important lessons I’ve learned. I’ve learned that I can care about people without constantly pouring from my own cup for them. I can outgrow something without being ungrateful for what it once meant to me. I can fail at something without being a failure. And sometimes walking away isn’t giving up. Sometimes it’s finally choosing where your energy belongs.
I’m still working on some of those lessons, but I think that’s part of being human. I’d rather be able to say I’m still growing than pretend I have everything figured out.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My work is a little hard to put under one title because I work in several different parts of the creative industry. I’m a photographer, model, model coach and educator, and I also work in studio operations and management.
With Jaded Focus Photos, I specialize mostly in boudoir, alternative fashion, cosplay, and creative portrait work. I love shoots that have personality behind them. I’m not really interested in making everyone look the same or following whatever style happens to be trending. I want the final images to actually feel like the person in them.
I think what I’m most known for, though, is how comfortable I make people feel. Being a model myself has given me a completely different perspective behind the camera. I know how vulnerable it can feel to stand in front of someone’s lens, especially with boudoir. I understand posing from both sides, I know what directions actually make sense to a model, and I’m never expecting someone to walk into a shoot already knowing what to do.
That carries over into my coaching and education too. I really enjoy working with models at every experience level and teaching the things people sometimes assume you should just magically know. There’s so much more to modeling than being photogenic, and I love helping people understand the industry, build confidence, learn how to move and pose, communicate professionally, and figure out what makes them stand out.
Behind the scenes, I’m also involved in studio operations, scheduling, organization, and keeping all the moving pieces moving. It’s not the glamorous side of the creative industry, but I genuinely enjoy being part of what makes everything work.
What I’m most proud of isn’t one publication, photograph, or title. It’s the people who come back to work with me, the models I’ve watched grow, and the people who have trusted me enough to let me be part of their confidence journey. Seeing someone go from nervous and unsure of themselves to absolutely owning who they are will always mean more to me than a credit attached to my name.
I think what sets me apart is that I’ve experienced this industry from so many different sides. I know what it’s like to be the person in front of the camera, the photographer behind it, the person teaching, and the one behind the scenes trying to keep everything sailing smoothly.
That gives me a lot of perspective, but more than anything, I think people know me for actually caring about the experience just as much as the final result.
What makes you happy?
Honestly, what makes me happiest is the people I love and getting to create.
My family is a huge part of my happiness. I love the normal, everyday moments just as much as the big ones. Spending time together, laughing over something completely stupid, making memories, and just getting to be present with the people I care about means a lot to me.
Creating is definitely another big one. I’m happiest when an idea pops into my head and I get to figure out how to bring it to life. Sometimes that’s behind a camera, sometimes it’s in front of one, and sometimes it has absolutely nothing to do with photography. I just genuinely love taking something that only existed in my head and making it real.
I also get a lot of happiness from watching other people succeed. Seeing someone gain confidence, watching something finally click for them, or seeing someone I care about accomplish something they’ve been working toward genuinely makes me happy. I love being able to support and encourage the people around me.
And then there are the little things. My dog, good music, tattoos, getting way too invested in a new idea, laughing until my stomach hurts with my family, and those rare moments when my brain decides it doesn’t need to have 47 tabs open at the same time.
I think happiness for me is really a mixture of creating things I care about, being surrounded by people I love, and having the freedom to be completely myself while doing it.
Pricing:
- MINI SESSION – $500 Perfect for a shorter, focused shoot with one concept or look.
- FULL SESSION – $850 The full creative experience with more time, variety, and room to bring your vision to life. This session also includes hair and makeup
- CUSTOM SESSION – Starting at $1,200 Custom Sessions are designed for concepts that go beyond a traditional session and require additional planning, styling, or production.
- SUICIDEGIRLS SET – $250 Specialized SuicideGirls set following SG submission standards. This is a special discounted price to give back to the community that gave so much to me as a model.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/jadedfocusphotos
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/jadedfocusphotos
