I am proud to share with you this interview I did with a great professional, photographer and person: Jamie Kingham.
What kind of studies did you follow?
I started in photography when I was about 12. It was underwater photography but then moved on to portraits and just random stuff in High School. Throughout college I worked shooting model headshots and at the local newspaper. I took a few classes but mostly I just always found reasons to take photos. In college I decided I wanted t be a fashion photographer so once i graduated I moved too Australia to get out of the States and just live abroad. I worked as a fashion photographer assistant there as well as just playing on the beach for a year. Once I finished my year there I figured London was my best option to move to as I had the Canadian passport to do so and I had met some nice Brits who let me stay on their couches for a bit until I got on my feet. I worked as a photo assistant for 4 years before breaking out on my own which is when I landed in the fashion and celebrity portrait world. From there I worked for 12 years in London with the last 2 years in New York. I now live on the West Coast of the US and have shifted from fashion and celebrity to lifestyle and more advertising work.
How Long have you had a passion for photography
I knew the moment I picked up a camera at age 12 this was something very important to my life.
What is the most important thing in a working environment like that of a photographer?
Ultimately in order to stay relevant and creative you need to genuinely have a passion for what you do. Freelance life is filled with uncertainty whether it’s through slow times, changing fads in photography, all sorts of things and you need to be able to see through the clutter and keep your own vision in mind. It’s not a career for the weak hearted. Dealing with creative slumps, financial worries and then changing times is all part of the business. On top of it you need to be a business person as well. Know your worth and stand by it.
Which photographers or artists have most influenced your photography
This answer has changed many times throughout there years depending on where I'm at in my mind and my career. But the two that have stuck with name over the years are Nadav Kander and Mario Testino. I also still love Nick Wapplington as he has transcended photography and works in many mediums. I tend to have less influences now that I am 35 years into my career and more people I admire. In the beginning though I was definitely influenced by these guys.
Whats the most fun project you have been involved with
This is a very difficult one to answer as there have been so many. Every project is “fun” in it’s own way. I have done a ton of commercial projects recently where I get to go to beautiful destinations and just have fun shooting things like hiking, snow mobiling, jet skiing etc. But then we have the ones where we just get to meet interesting people. Maybe the jobs aren’t crazy creative but along the way we get to chat and shoot with amazing individuals. Not celebrities or musicians just normal people in normal cities. Small town America stuff. These are the things that really move me now. Saying that my shoot with Colin was truly fun!
Special Memories of Colin Firth
Wow that whole day was a special memory. From the moment he showed up to the moment he left he was a picture of professionalism and just a really really nice human being.
Did Firth Inspire you? How did bathtub happen?
Colin is very inspiring. When you shoot him he gives ideas, he respects art direction and brings more to it. I would imagine that comes from his acting background but he genuinely was himself that day. Laughing with our team, experimenting with wardrobe all of it. he gives off a very kind and positive energy which comes out in his photos. He’s one of a handful of celebrities that I truly wish I could have had a beer and remained in contact with. Not because of his status but because he’s just a really good person.
The bathtub shot was funny. When I scouted the location I knew I wanted to get him in it. Unsure of how to ask him, we were standing in the location on the second floor that overlooked the river and the bathtubs. As we were looking out and just chatting about what a cold, grey day it was he just said we should do a shot in the bathtub! It was that easy. So we had to boil water from the wood stove in the kitchen and fill it bucket by bucket. it took an hour or so so while we were shooting the other shots my team filled it. I was the one who held the towel up to protect his modesty even though he was wearing his underwear as he hadn’t brought a swimsuit. There was running jokes of all the girls trying to peak around the towel. He was truly a good sport about it all and the shots came out amazing.
After the shoot I had sent his agent some prints from the shoot. I never expected to hear back but he sent me a lovely email saying thank you, and they are some of the best photos he ever had even his wife praised them! I was truly floored and honored.
What do you want to communicate through your photography
Honestly I don't have one single thing I want to communicate. I take photos because I love making the visions in my head become reality. I love connecting with people with I would never have a chance to connect with without a camera. Even if it is only for a few minutes. There’s so much life and humanity out there to discover and the camera offers me a way to discover it without having to work a job I hate to take a vacation to discover. Taking a portrait for me is a way of asking someone to give me a moment of their life and that is a huge honor regardless of who it is.
What you recommended to people starting out?
Patience. Have patience. I didn’t have patience so I missed a lot of enjoyment along the way because I wasn’t happy with where I was at, I always felt like I was behind my schedule. I never stopped to smell the roses. Photography is not a destination it is a journey that you will never reach the end of. If you reach a goal - shooting for Vogue, shooting for the local newspaper, having 100,000 followers on Instagram, whatever it is - once you reach that goal you will never sit back and go “Ok I made it done”. If you are truly a creative once you hit that you will be thinking whats next? And be resilient, you will have more people that don’t like your work that do along the way and that’s ok. Trust your vision. It will change many times over your journey but as long as you trust it and follow it you're ok. Never follow other people visions, it’s ok to be inspired but never follow.
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