A little bit about me.
Hello there, my name is Jerusha! I'm originally from New Albany IN, where I grew up. I moved to Louisville, KY where I lived for 16 years. Following my divorce I made the decision to relocate to my forever home in Sarasota FL in the Spring of 2021. My last name is Pfannenschmidt (German for "bowl maker") which is where I get the rather unusual spelling for Pfanntastic Photography. My passion for photography sprung from a love of weddings and working with couples. The smiles, laughter, and emotions I experience through my clients is what I love to capture! My biggest motivation for starting this company was because of a disaster with my own wedding photography. Three weeks prior to the "big day" our photographer backed out on us, leaving us in a frantic last minute dash to find anyone who could photograph our wedding! Unfortunately, our only option on such short notice was an elderly gentleman, who's style, well let's just say was overly traditional. Our first meeting was the day of our wedding. He was decked out with antique looking equipment, rolls of 35mm film, and a small on camera flash. One entire roll of film “didn’t take” and all that we were left with was a make shift demo album with magic marker all over many of the photos telling us he was going to “crop”, “straighten” or do whatever else to them. The ones that managed to survive the "marker attack of 2006," were not worthy of framing or even to display in an album. After our honeymoon we were unable to reach him or obtain the final product. We had paid this photographer his fee and never heard from him again. Thankfully a family friend was randomly shooting around and managed to capture a number of decent shots. Those are the only photos I felt were usable, but unfortunately, even those photos had date stamps each one. This was my crash course in the art of Photoshopping images. Out of the necessity to edit date stamps from our backup photos, I started my pursuit of photography the opposite way that most do... with learning how to edit photos before taking them.
As a result of the experience with my own wedding, I enjoy helping others capture those once in a lifetime occasions, in creative and unique ways. I specialize in wedding photography and engagements, but also enjoy anniversaries, family & senior portraits, and much more! I have the ability to customize each shoot to suit my clients individual needs. Just ask!
My Style
Asking a photographer what their "style" is can bring out some interesting explanations! So here we go. I make a point to grab a mixture of posed and candid images, so the result ends up producing a wide variety of captures. When dialing in the look and feel, I loved the result from bringing in high quality lighting equipment to create a more vibrant, dramatic and multidimensional appearance. The ultimate goal is to capture emotion and frame it in artistry. On your wedding day, the top priority is to tell your story as the day progresses, capturing lots of details, special moments with friends and family, and many other key elements to preserve these special moments in the form of a photograph forever! The connection and friendships I make with each client shows through the captures and I am proud to call it my body of work!
In The Beginning
I grew up in a Christian home in Southern Indiana along with my five siblings. Two older sisters, one younger sister, and two younger brothers. It was most definitely a full-house! We were home schooled together and grew up as as a very tight knit group. My upbringing has to a great extent made me the person that I am today. I’m so thankful that my parents raised us in the Word of God! "Train up a child in the way he or she should go, and when he or she is old they will not part from it." I believe that to be a great truth along with the rest of God's Word.