Jensen turning heads with stylish wedding photography

Wherever she goes, in her mind’s eye Triniti Jensen is looking at life through a camera lens. Whether driving, exploring a new venue, or just walking around her hometown of Aurora, she’s constantly thinking about how she could adapt the lighting and environment around her to help create wedding day photos that are both authentic and timeless.
Fourteen years after first picking up a camera and launching her own business, called Trin Jensen Photography, the self-described “solopreneuer” is being recognized as one of the best in her field, earning accolades in Nebraska and beyond. Having already won Junebug Wedding Magazine’s “Best of the Best Engagement Photo” in 2017, Jensen earned that coveted title again this year, featuring a tightly-cropped image taken right here in Aurora. She is also a finalist in Nebraska Wedding Day Magazine’s competition for both “Best Destination Wedding Photographer” and “Best Wedding Photographer,” the results of which will be announced at a gala in June at Omaha’s Joselyn Art Museum.
“I’m so blessed, honestly, just to be able to create my own schedule, be my own boss, but also just being able to do what I love,” Jensen shared. “I know so many people that can’t say that, and it’s just such a blessing to me.”
Though her focus on wedding day, quite literally, is on capturing quality images in a style that seems effortlessly natural, Jensen said she also cherishes the role she plays in helping bridal couples have a memorable day.
“It’s just so important to me that whatever wedding I take and whatever couple I work with that they just feel so loved and that I’m 100 percent in their corner no matter what happens on the wedding day,” she said. “I want them to be able to feel all of their emotions again when they look at their galleries after I deliver them, because that’s what is timeless, how you felt on your wedding day. We talk about all these trends, and when you look at certain photos you can see the era that the photos were taken in, say 2010, 2015 and so on. But what’s really timeless is how you felt in those photos, so the image can take you back to how you felt. That’s what is really important to capture.”
Asked how she prepares to handle specific assignments, Jensen said she has learned over time how to think on her feet.
“If I have the opportunity to go look at a venue in advance I will, but lighting changes all the time,” she explained. “It could be a cloudy day and I can have the opportunity to shoot anywhere because it’s diffused light, but it could be a sunny day. Then if I’ve made a plan ahead of time and it’s sunny I have to have a Plan B. So usually I’ll go to the wedding venue like 30 minutes before and scout out places where I can shoot, but as much as I want to plan in advance sometimes that just doesn’t happen.”

Changing trends
The self-taught entrepreneur noted that trends in wedding photography are constantly evolving, not only in regard to the equipment used but also in terms of shooting and editing techniques. She recently purchased a traditional film camera, for example, and has also begun to use flash photography to add a sense of editorial style.
“Trends change all the time and ironically flash is now becoming a trend,” she said. “An editorial look is very in style right now, the idea that this photo looks like it could be in Vogue magazine. People are drawn to that, and then there’s also a feeling of nostalgia with a direct flash on photos taken during the reception or even portraits outside that can also lean a little more editorial. What’s really trending right now is either nostalgic feelings of like even a point-and-shoot digital camera. Film photography is also popular right now. There’s just something you can’t get with a digital camera that you can with film, like the look, tones and colors.”
One example of an emerging trend is the use of blurred images. Jensen said photos that appear out of focus would have been thrown away not so long ago, but now they are in vogue.
“It is very true that people love that sense of mystery and blurry photos, where the background is in focus compared to the foreground,” she explained. “It is kind of telling the story in a mysterious way. Back in 2012, or up until 2020 really, you would have tossed those images, and now I shoot them intentionally.”
Being a photographer for over a decade, Jensen realizes she has to pay attention to the changes in the industry because things evolve so quickly.
“I have to pay attention to trends happening around the world, what’s up and coming, and just learn and evolve my own business because you can’t stay stuck in a style,” she said. “Social media has completely changed the photography world because when I first became a photographer Pinterest wasn’t even a thing. People are inspired now by Pinterest with photos from all over the world, and you can hire a photographer from a different state to come shoot your wedding just because of the exposure that you can have.”

‘Chameleon’ role
Looking back over her still young career, Jensen shared that she earned a degree in human service counseling with a goal of becoming a family therapist. Fresh out of college, she offered to take photos for friends who were expecting their first child, and enjoyed the experience so much she began taking on other photo assignments, including weddings. A decade later, about the time she and her husband, Tyler, were moving back to Aurora, she decided to pursue photography as her full-time occupation and hasn’t looked back.
Ironically, her training as a counselor sometimes comes in handy when things don’t go as planned on the big day.
“When you’re a wedding photographer, I like to describe it as like I want to be a chameleon to the situation,” she said. “If the energy is high and it’s exciting, I want to join in on that, but if there’s a stressful situation I want to be that peaceful presence that assures my couples that everything’s going to be okay. At the end of the day, you’re still getting married, and that’s all that matters. I am there to document every piece of that, so my hope is that I just truly offer that peaceful experience for them so they’re able to take in every moment, because at the end of the day that’s what matters most.”
Jensen also announced that she has recently grown her business, which she first launched in 2011, to include a team of five photographers — Trin Jensen & Co. — helping expanding her reach and exposure. An ideal schedule includes 15 to 18 weddings per year for her, personally, as well as 25 for members of her team. 
“I’ve been able to serve so many more couples than if I were to do that on my own,” she said. “That’s been a huge blessing, just to offer couples a similar experience where they work with my team, then I do all the editing.”
Jensen and her husband,  Tyler, have two children, including daughter Haven and son Zealand, ages 6 and almost 2.