PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER INTERVIEW: DANIEL JENKINS
PAST
LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: In your early years of high school, were you involved in the yearbook ? What sparked your interest in photography? Do you recommend all the weekend photographers out there to initially stick with the subjects they know and build from there? Do you have any suggestions on how to build that progression? How did you progress to where you are today?
DANIEL JENKINS: During high school I was in to rock n roll, played in a few bands, was somewhat of an outcast in high school, therefore was not involved in the yearbook. I think my interest in photography started when I was younger. When I was five, my parents bought me one of those point and shoots with the flash bulbs. Great times. My father was a hobbyist photographer and I hung out in the dark room as much as possible.
LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: Do you still have photos taken from the early years when it all started? What were your subjects? Are the pictures online to share with everyone to compare with your work today?
DANIEL JENKINS: Not sure where those photos ended up. My mother probably thought the photos borderlined soft-core porn. I’ve always had a way of capturing sexual energy with a camera, even at such a young age.
LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: What books did you read at the beginning of your photography career that helped you prepare for today? Title of book, author and price of book please…just messing around, the title of the books should be fine thanks to google search. Do you recall any other resources that you referred to heavily to help you prepare for the photography business? We want to know what the must have resources are to fully equip ourselves when and if we ever plan to take that leap of faith.
DANIEL JENKINS: I’ve always been the type to search for answers in books, however very rarely found what I was looking for. Magazines have been my favorite resources. Vogue, Nylon, Vanity Fair, Another Magazine, American Photo, PDN…
Spent a few dollars on some cheesy photo books that seemed more glamour style. didn’t get anything good out of them, however one book: The Lighting Cookbook for Fashion & Beauty. This is a must have.
LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: What was your very first professional photography job? Was this purely out of luck that you were at the right place at the right time? Was there a hidden plan to penetrate the market from within? Would you recommend it to new photographers trying to break into the market and that are having difficulty breaking in? Once you had your first job under your belt was it difficult to get another gig? What did you do to acquire more work besides providing awesome images? Have you ever considered being agency represented? If you are agency represented how did you attract a photography agent?
DANIEL JENKINS: I got involved with a regional magazine and was photographing a bartender at a club for a monthly editorial feature, and the club owners asked if I could photograph some advertising campaigns for them. This client became my bread and butter client. They had a restaurant adjacent to the club and I photographed everything for them. Food, product, ad campaigns, pop displays… I guess I was in the right place at the right time. However there was a huge amount of hard work and persistence that got my the editorial gig in the first place.
LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: After your first job, What was the next photography gig you obtained and how did you go about your execution? Did you apply all that you’ve learned in all the books you’ve read ? Did you buy more books or accessed any more resources to help you jump to your next big step in the game of photography? What tools do you recommend that are a must have that helped you get to where you are present day?
DANIEL JENKINS: My first client kept me busy while I photographed fashion shows and built relationships with indie fashion designers. Other commercial projects included a group of Best Western hotels, a paint ball products company, an ad campaign for a cosmetic surgeon.
As far as applying what I learned, I was taking the safe route when it came to lighting. I wasn’t experimenting enough, although the quality of my photos were good, I wasn’t taking creative risks. I hadn’t learned to see light. I wasn’t controlling the mood with light. That is something that took my the next 4 years to learn.
PRESENT
LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: What keeps the money rolling? Your brand is possibly a huge factor to your longevity? Am i right? Do you have any recommendations on brand building for weekend photographers and/or Photographers in general.
DANIEL JENKINS: You’ve probably heard, “you’re only as good as your last shoot”. This is wrong. You’re only as good as your NEXT shoot. Branding is important, however building relationships is what is MOST important. Everyone you meet could have a future impact on your income. I was shooting a fashion show one time, and I pointed out to a new photographer how to let the ambient light burn in and make the photo more interesting, later I bid on an assignment where he was the art director. I got the gig because of how helpful I was. In addition, there was a girl that I dated who later on became the creative director on a series of photo shoots. Be nice to everyone.
LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: What is currently in your photography bag? Please be as detailed as possible for those starting out photographers that want to be just like you. From your photography equipment arsenal, what do you bring most of the time for your commercial shoots?
