Whoa. So last week, when I asked for people to submit questions they wanted JD to answer, I didn't expect such a great response. Silly me. Oh, Internet, you're CLEARLY here to read about JD and not see pictures…obviously! 🙂 I'll keep this intro short because JD answered a ton of questions over the weekend (it looked like he was doing homework yesterday!), but I have to admit I wanted to jump in and change things and make them less honest. Because honesty, well, sometimes honesty is a little too revealing. Then JD reminded me I preach to K.I.R. all the time, so that's what this is…a door inside our lives.

Ooooh, okay, so before we get to JD, here's a photo…because blog posts are always better with a photo! We jumped into the photobooth at our wedding last Saturday and had a little fun…

Now, here's my better half, the ever-fab JD…

If you could change one thing about Jasmine, what would it be???
I wish Jasmine wasn't a vegetarian. Sometimes I get tired of tofu…and all the other healthy stuff she eats. Soy bacon…soy chicken…soy hamburger patties…tons of vegetables. Sometimes I just wish she'd BBQ up some old fashion steaks and that's all we'd eat for dinner. Well, steaks and a potato. She'd die before she'd ever eat that!

JD, what's your passion besides Jasmine and Polo?
I've been thinking about this question for a while now and I hope my answer doesn't sound cliche.
I'm passionate about helping people. I gain no greater satisfaction than knowing I was a small piece of helping someone achieve everything they dream of.

Where do you see your lives in five years?
Five years ago, I would never imagine the business being where it is today. Well, I guess because we didn't have a business back then! From the moment Jasmine voiced she wanted to be a wedding photographer, I always knew that she would do well, but her growth is far beyond my idea of doing “well”. In five years, Jaz and I will start preparing for a family. Although we're both business driven, I'm excited to have a child, travel the world, and pursue our dreams of running successful businesses.

JD, does Jasmine dress you or are you really just naturally saavy with fashion? 🙂
I have to admit it's a little of both. I'm the type of guy who'll go shopping and return with a few outfits that look like Punky Brewster designed them. Jasmine definitely helps fine-tune my wardrobe malfunctions!

At what point did you realize that Jasmine's dream was going to become much more than a reality?? And if her/your success has far exceeded your expectations???
I'm embarrassed to admit that I didn't dream this big. In two years, our lives are so vastly different than we ever imagined. It's taught me a valuable lesson: Hope Big, Dream BIGGER.

How do you handle “working for the wife”? We consider ourselves partners in our business, but at the end of the day, I (the wife) am the creative leader. Sometimes, it leads to a bit of frustration if we have different vision for different shoots. Do you have to bite your tongue very often?
No, not at all. Firstly, I love being a part of the JStar team, but I've never wanted to take ownership in the creative part of the business. Jasmine is the lead photographer, the visionary, the left-brain…and my goal is to make sure everything else is as close to perfect as I can make things. Yes, there are days when we disagree (and the synergy we have now has only come with time) but it's important for a couple to know their roles. Jaz and I are business partners, but it's HER name and brand WE are building. I'm in total support of this, and something I've always wanted to be good at doing.

What nationality are you JD ?
I'm American, but my ethnicity is Mexican and Chinese.

Do you help out on the business plan for J. Star? Can you tell me exactly what your role is for helping her be successful so that I can squeeze a little more help outta my man 🙂 …. or does she do it ALLLLL on her own.
Jasmine is my best friend, and I'm her sounding board. I wake up to questions from Jasmine that range from whether she should cut bangs, buy a distressed home as investment, whether she should host a workshop, to whether she should book another wedding. The questions are endless. I'm not lying…she has so many questions that the world can't contain all the answers!
Jasmine is successful all on her own. My role is to be supportive, a sounding board, and to help her push her limits.

What's your favorite lens?
I like shooting with the 85mm, 1.8. I feel like I'm really close to what's going on and caught up in the moment. I really like that.

JD, honest, do you miss your mum's cooking? 🙂
To be honest, I miss home cooking in general! It's one of the downfalls of owning a business…we eat out a lot! Jasmine jokes they only thing she's good at making is Reservations, but it's nice because we're close to our families, so our mothers often hook us up with dinners!

How did you get get so good, did Jasmine give you some lessons or did you just shoot, shoot and shoot some more?
Ha! Jasmine comes from the School of Hard Knocks and believes you just sink or swim according to how badly you want something…I feel badly for our future child!
After assisting Jasmine on her first wedding, she mandated that I shoot exclusively in Manual mode, fully understand metering, and nail exposure…all the time. She expected perfection from me because that's what she expects all the time…and if I wasn't up for the challenge, she'd throw darts at me with her eyes!
In all fairness, she taught me everything she knew and would tell me her camera settings when I first started shooting with her at weddings. Jasmine knew the more she invested in me, the better off we'd be as a team later. She's kind of smart.

What's your real name?
Me llamo Jesus DeLaTorre! Pronounced Heh-Seus, not Jee-Zus. JD is an abbreviation of my first and last name. However, these days, people in the industry seem to know me as JD Star…I never thought I'd marry into my wife's middle name!

JD, what single thing impresses you about Jasmine the most, (and no you can't say her husband) I mean photography wise?
I know she's not the best photographer in the world, and there's a ton of other artistic, awe-inspiring photographers, but, darn, the way she composes her shots (mixed with the way she interacts with her clients) makes me just fall in love with her. I think she's kind of amazing. I love seeing photos through her eyes and I'm challenged to raise to the bar she's set so high.

JD, does it make you cringe when Jasmine wants to buy new lenses?
In the beginning, I practically forced her to buy new lenses. Jasmine was so afraid of failing that she didn't want to spend our money. It was like she was a terrified of it. Now that she's built up our arsenal, however, I sort of cringe when she tells me she needs more lenses…I think I might have spoiled her!

I see that you shoot with Jasmine, are you officially her photography assistant/backup photographer? If so, have you always liked photography or was that something that Jasmine got you to fall in love with?
Yes, I am Jasmine's permanent second shooter and she's still making me fall in love with photography. Before we started shooting together, I had never picked up a digital camera, but we both loved the art of photography. We'd go to photography exhibits and shows, but I never dreamed it'd be something we did together.

JD, what is the most important piece of advice would you give to the spouse of a budding wedding/portrait photographer, based on your personal experience?
Be supportive, at all costs. You're the vital piece of your spouse's success, so take that honor and know the future is bright.