SAN JOSE — Part photoshoot, part podcast with sprinkles of self-acceptance, fashion, therapy and LGBTQ pride: that’s The Queer Soul Experience by Jenni Chapman and it’s like no other photography experience ever.

Whether it’s for Christmas cards or school or an engagement, photoshoots have become a regular occurrence for many of us as we hit milestones in life. But for LGBTQ folks, the Queer Soul Experience offers more than just a space to smile and look pretty — it’s about deep, emotional acceptance.

Calling themself the “queer photographer of your dreams,” Chapman, like many other LGBTQ folks, struggled with self-acceptance and self-love during their coming-out journey. With no representation in society at the time, it was easy for them to wonder “is the amazing life I dream of for myself even a possibility?” Now as a nonbinary lesbian marrying a femme lesbian Chapman has taken it upon themself to be the person that enthusiastically says “Yes!”

The Mercury News sat down with Chapman — who prefers they/them pronouns — to talk about their new multi-media project, their struggles with coming out and being themself and how their photography can reveal parts of people they didn’t even know were there. Here’s a look at Chapman and their queer soul:

Q How does The Queer Soul Experience differ from your average photo shoot?

A The thing that’s different is that my clients have a lot more creative control and it’s all about the finished gallery being 100% reflective of their most authentic selves. There are a lot of different people who are queer and I wanted to showcase that, so this project allows people to live the highest fantasy of their most authentic selves. We have hair and makeup artists who are also queer.  We can rent things out, plan out sets and do whatever the client wants. That’s unique for a lot of queer people in many spaces. Things that may feel authentic to us we get told ‘”okay, but that will make people uncomfortable, let’s water it down.” In this queer, creative playground I created you can be whoever you want.

Q So how does it work?

A People either nominate themselves to me or their friends nominate them to do this experience. Those people get to explore, validate and celebrate the parts of themselves they worked so hard to uncover. So not only do the clients themselves and nominees get to feel incredible, the LGBTQ people who will see and interact with this content will get to see that there are infinite ways to be queer. They’re being given metaphorical permission through these people’s real-life stories to go in on whatever makes them unique and know there will be a community there to cheer them on and support them.

Q And there’s a podcast aspect to this? 

A Yes! For me, a lot of the queer podcasts that I’ve listened to on like queer Instagram or queer Tiktok, it’s largely about labels and relationships and sex, which are super important. But for straight and cis people it feels largely very foreign to them. What’s missing in the mix is humanizing queer people in a way that straight and cis people can relate to. Yes, of course I’m going to introduce people as their pronouns and identify them as X, Y or Z, but the interviews are about them as human beings. It will help cis  and straight people realize things like, ‘hey, this trans man is just like me!”

Q For many queer folks, coming out can be a dramatic, traumatic and deeply life-changing experience. What was your coming out journey like?

A When I was in college, I didn’t see anybody in college that was a femme-ish non-binary queer lady… person, so I didn’t come out until college.

I was very conscious from a very early age that I was playing a game that other people were really living. I was picking boys to have crushes on, mirroring what my friends were doing, but on the inside feeling sick and icky thinking ‘everyone else is doing it.’ I’ve had an ongoing coming out process since I was 18, but as I saw more queer presentations in society I turned the lens on myself and asked “how can I be the way I am on the inside on the outside?” It’s pretty easy to find representation if I want to now, but there are so many pockets of our community that are impossible to find, of course, those people from those demographics desperately need to see each other and be seen by everybody and be celebrated.

Q Across the country, we’re seeing right-wing politicians and others malign the kind of queer education that you’re championing. How do you feel about the country’s conversation about queer people now and those who feel projects like yours aren’t appropriate, especially for children and young people?

A Really and truly it’s insane that what I’m doing is considered radical. First of all, kids are going to find out about this stuff anyway. They have so much access to the internet and social media. If you’re trying to shield your kids from knowing about queer people, they’re going to know anyway. The question is, do we want a society where we are taught that you can be whoever you are and love everyone, or are you the kind of parent or lawmaker who is actively trying to keep children from experiences for fear they’ll harm them? All we’re saying is that sometimes people have two mommies, some people have two daddies, and some people have neither mommies or daddies. What we’re teaching people is to be kind, to share their stories and interests, to be good friends and live authentically.

JENNI CHAPMAN

Age: 27

Title: Owner of Jenni Chapman Photography

Residence: Campbell

Education: Emerson College

Family: Fiancée Ali Schindler

FIVE FACTS ABOUT JENNI CHAPMAN

  • Queer and nonbinary (uses she/they pronouns interchangeably).
  • Runs @aliandjenni on Instagram all about their relationship.
  • Educates and advocates for autistic people (such as Chapman, who is themself on the spectrum) to help people in the #actuallyautistic community get the accommodations they need and design a life in which they can thrive.
  • Traveled to Greece this past summer, checking off their #1 photography bucket list location.
  • Has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theatre and performs in professional plays and musicals throughout the Bay Area.