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EMERALD PAWTRAITS, Bromfield Industrial Estate, Mold
Back in 2014, an 11-year-old girl won the junior section of Mold Food and Drink Festival's photography competition.
The award, for a photo of a cake, sparked a passion in Jessica Humphreys that has now seen her embark on a new business venture.
The 20-year-old from Mold, has launched Emerald Pawtraits, which specialises in pet photography. Emerald being inspired by her dog Dotty's birthstone of the same gem. Maltipoo Dotty was also the first dog she photographed.
Junior photography competition winner Jessica Humphreys in 2014.
Getting creative with a camera has long been something that Jessica has enjoyed but the path to opening a business has been one of hard work, determination and defying the odds.
At about 16-years-old, Jessica developed PoTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome), a condition that causes an abnormal increase in the heart rate after sitting up or standing up. But she hasn't let it dictate her life.
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Leaving the Alun School in Mold at 16, she went on to study an HND in animal management at Coleg Cambria at their Northop site.
Pet photography by Jessica Humphreys at Emerald Pawtraits.
Jessica said: "I've always had an interest in photography, I'd always done it as a hobby and animals have developed as my muse for it.
"I started out with wildlife, then branched out to pets when I got Dotty.
"I then wanted to start taking it all a bit more seriously, so I hired a studio and took my dog and my neighbour's dog and tried it out.
Jessica Humphreys' image on the cover of Conker Nature magazine.
"I was lucky enough to spend a couple of days with another photographer who did pets but didn't specialise in it. I really enjoyed it and just kept doing it, ending up with Emerald Pawtraits."
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Jessica clearly has talent, she recently won Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award for Amateur Photographer magazine's wildlife category, with a stunning photo of a fox. A photo of a fox also saw her bag the cover of Conker Nature magazine.
Coleg Cambria also recently invited Jessica to return as a judge for a photography competition.
The Emerald Pawtraits studio in Mold.
Despite the old saying "never work with animals or children", Jessica isn't phased. She said: "Animals are definitely more difficult to work with but I've just always wanted to work with animals. Puppies are a lot more fun but harder to work with.
"Initially I was going to go into conservation and animal behaviour. I knew I would always work with animals in some form."
Being creative is something Jessica loves and it's something she can use beyond taking photos. In her studio, before even picking up a camera, she has backdrops and props to work with to get the best image with her furry clients.
Getting the perfect shot takes lots of creativity as well as a few treats, and Jessica also makes use of various phone apps and isn't beyond making funny noises to get the attention of her subjects.
Jessica's love for animals goes beyond the lens, and her passion sees her volunteer for UK Youth 4 Nature, as well as with several animal charities.
Emerald Pawtraits has been supported of the Prince's Trust and Business Wales, and helped give Jessica a strong foundation for building the future of the business. The young businesswoman, who has an active social media presence, is positive about how things will develop, adding: "I'm a see how it goes person."
• Emerald Pawtraits
Office 1, Bromfield House
Stephen Gray Road
Bromfield Industrial Estate
Mold
Email: info@emeraldpawtraits.co.uk
Website: emeraldpawtraits.co.uk
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