Jena seeks out authentic emotion in her food and lifestyle photography with a strong emphasis on narratives and blending modern and heritage styles. Over the past 13 years, Jena has been known for her elevated earthy, artistic photography style focused on appetite appeal and brand storytelling. Her classical training as a fine art painter creates a unique photography style that perfectly complements both editorial and advertising campaigns.

The studio is centrally located between the Midwestern hubs of Chicago, IL, and Minneapolis, MN, surrounded by spectacular natural landscapes, rich soil, and the space to create big ideas.  Meet Carlin Creative at a destination, or go feel the hospitality of the studio in person or virtually by shooting remotely.

Jena creates for clients worldwide such as Ghirardelli, Martha Stewart, Kohl’s, Taste of Home, Sam’s Club, The Buckle, Press, Kerry Taste and Nutrition, and Iowa Premium Angus.

In addition to Jena’s commercial work, she prides herself on building the community and knowledge of commercial food photography through the Little Rusted Ladle blog, the Master the Art of Food Photography online summit, and her mentorship program Portfolio to Profit.