Jesh taking a picture of me taking a picture of him taking a picture of me taking a picture of him.
i’d been working in the financial industry and though i enjoyed it, felt a draw to return to the arts. i loved the intimacy of portraiture, the space it became for me to witness the beauty in people, and thought it’d be easy to build a business with.
i remember specifically thinking that wedding photographers only had to work on saturdays. that was ideal, of course, since it would give me the rest of the week to explore music and other artistic pursuits i enjoyed
my business plan was simple: a) move to a city of a million people, b) start a wedding photography business c) book 10 weddings d) charge $10,000 per wedding. e) work 10 days a year. it was a pretty good plan.
didn’t turn out exactly that way, in the end, but it took me on an adventure that continues to surprise and thrill me in ways i never could have expected. i feel thankful to have trusted my instincts to explore the road less travelled.
What camera did you learn with?a used Canon a1 and a Pentax 67
What did you do/plan to do before deciding on photography? many things…
the oldest entrepreneurial thought i remember having must have been when i was 4. a game i’d sometimes play with myself would be to scribble randomly on a blank page with my eyes closed until it was it was a tangled mass of lines, then open my eyes and challenge myself to make something beautiful of it.
i remember thinking i could make a business someday where people brought me their pages, tangled and messy, and i’d make a beautiful picture out of it, and give it back to them. interesting, to note the parallels in how it has ended up
my first official business was started when i was 7. it was called the Happy Garbage Company, and had a trashcan with a smiley face for the logo. my family was living in an apartment complex at the time and i developed a subscription model where for $5 a week, i’d take neighbors’ trash from their apartments to the central trash bin.
later, from about 12-16, i ran a business i called JeshWorks, which offered design services, photography, music, poetry books, sketches and pottery. my pottery never really took off, lol, but the rest did pretty well, all things considered.
i subsequently began a career in the financial industry, working my way up through the coporate ladder for several years.
i also worked in a design-house for a time, collaborating with other creatives to design books for National Geographic photographers, among other things.
Is there a post processing trend that you thought looked phenom, but now makes you cringe?
no. i like my taste. it’s served me well, too. though my eye & palette has become more sophisticated, what i liked years ago, i still see merit in.
A session or series you’ve felt most proud of?
the development of the emerging genre of Beloved is probably what i’m most proud of as a photographer. it’s been a bridge for myself ,and now (amazingly to me) thousands of others, to profoundly touch many beautiful people.
If there were no limitations, what would you pursue photographically? What do you dream of shooting before you die?
i don’t see any limitations in what i’m interested in pursuing photographically. there is much still to be discovered, but it’s a mystery rather than a boundary. i would love to be able to photograph the energy moving between people on a sub-atomic level, whatever love is made of. photographing decisions and the energies that they’re made of is also fascinating to me.
i believe i’ll explore both before i pass from this world.
10 years from now- where would you like to be? Doing what?
deeper in love with my family, friends and all those who belong in my heart than i am now. the future is a mystery to me. my hands are completely full with the present.
Your favorite lens/camera combo.
haven’t been able to play with it for some time, but i look in fondness to my giant old Pentax 67 and its worn 90 mm lens. i made some beautiful images with that behemoth.
Camera/lens combo you’d like to have or play with.
i’d love to play with the RED camera my cinematically-inclined friends rave about.
Any preferences between film/digital? Favorite film stocks?
i prefer the look and feel of film, but the convenience and immediacy of digital.
Biggest horror story, a medium sized horror story or just a sucky story related to photography.
when i first began playing with photography, i wound my own film. the cases were made to take a maximum of 36 frames, but i’d always try to squeeze in a few more.
one of the first rolls i ever shot took me about a month of exploring to fill. but there kept on being more frames. by about 44 i started getting suspicious. by 56, i had a sick feeling in my stomach.
i opened up the camera, and found that the teeth of the winding mechanism had torn through the film grips. all 56, painstakingly shot, heart-filled images had been shot on the first frame. it remains the whitest image i have ever taken
Who/what lights your fire? Songs, artist, movie, subject, feelings….
the people i love. greatness in the human spirit, watching it unfold. when you get a handmade gift from someone and you know they were thinking of you while they made it. the circles rain makes when it hits the ground, how it completely loses its shape, and for a few moments, even starts heading back up. wearing new socks for the first time. warm showers with good water pressure. epiphany. the moment when you’re quietly watching someone you love be brilliant at something when they don’t know you’re watching and you’re filled with the knowing of how lucky you are. hitting replay on the new song i’m falling in love with before it’s completely finished. the fresh smell of outside on skin. coming up for exactly the right word for something you’re trying to explain. watching firelight move. working on something you know people will smile when they see. thinking about all the moments i’ve shared with magnificently irreplaceable people. filling my lungs as big as they get, in the ocean, letting the waves move me. the first bite of the vegetarian samosa my favorite indian restaurant makes. well-made hoodies.
When is the last time you have had personal prints done?
this morning.
How often do you shoot for fun? Have you noticed a theme/consistency in what you shoot for enjoyment?
i don’t shoot anything except for fun.
How do you handle friends/family requests for your services?
friendship is built on respect. if you want to give your services to a friend for less than you’d charge someone else, because they’re your friend, theoretically, they should also want to pay you more than someone else would pay. i figure the two even out and it’s just the regular price.
sometimes trades are easier with friends, and gifts can be beautiful when they come from the heart, but when it comes to straight up commissions, i’m honored to invest in the services i choose to experience, friend or not, and wouldn’t ask for a discount.
If you could only make two ps adjustments/actions. what would they be?
Perfection & Perfection II.
What is your favorite type of paid session/assignment?
the Beloved work i do, which is a celebration of relationship.
Was there someone from childhood, whom you credit for instilling your love of photography or someone who believed in your ability to do this as a profession?
my first photography mentor, Donald Pettit. in addition to his gorgeous landscape imagery, his encouragement had more impact than he could have known.
Are there any educational experiences/workshops that stand out as having helped you grow?
life {as an artform}. i’m the record holder for having attended the mosti never fail to walk away with a stronger, deeper connection with who i am and a clearer vision of who i want to be.
Are there any particular things you like to have when you sit down to edit?
good music, a great chair, uninterrupted peace.
Have you gotten more or less comfortable having your own photo taken?
i used to be very self-conscious, but have become comfortable to the point where i now see it as an opportunity to share a small piece of the life i’ve been blessed with.
- Would you rather shoot:
*Burt Renolyd’s mustache or Chuck Norris’s?
Chuck’s.
*A macro shot of your toes or a full body shot wearing a half shirt and spandex?
full body, baby. all the way.
*The cover of Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone or National Geographic?
Vanity Fair.
*A UFO or Sasquatch?
ufo. been there, done that.
You’re wearing a t-shirt with one word that sums up your journey thus far. What does it say?
YOU’REWELCOME
Link to Awesomness:
Beloved is an emerging photographic genre centered on the creation of meaning-rich portraits that express the individual, beautiful personality each person is born with, creating an opportunity to celebrate the relationships that fill our lives with joy and purpose.
The Photogenic Technique of Beloved gives photographers a clear and simple way to move past the “camera smile”‘ to easily capture the authentic, photogenic expressions and the naturally beautiful sides of our personality we share with our loved ones.
The Beloved Collective serves and supports the amazing community of photographers who are integrating Beloved and Photogenic Technique into their portrait sessions through products, online training courses and an annual conference.
In addition to launching a new website the Beloved Collective has just released the first Family Field Guide, which brings the power of Photogenic Technique to the fields of family & children photography.
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