We are very excited to showcase Jack Alexander as our latest featured photographer. He is a self-taught portrait, fashion and conceptual photographer based out of the UK. Jack describes his style as very bright, high contrast and colorful with a powerful underlying meaning or concept. Photography is his true passion and he enjoys working with all different kinds of people, preferring to shoot portraits of everyday people in their own element.
Take a look at what he has to say and at some fantastic portraits below. Thanks for sharing with us Jack.
How did you get started in Photography?
I began experimenting with a friend’s camera before I got my own for my 18th birthday. I began taking pictures of friends until I developed the confidence to ask any stranger that I thought would make for a really good model.
What has contributed to your success?
I feel like I’ve developed my specific style, and that’s something that comes through practice–shooting over and over. I’m self-taught and I try new things to see if they work or not. But as well, I think you should never underestimate the power of Facebook and Twitter. Working hard and trying to reach out to people on social networking sites is the reason a lot of people know about my pictures. It’s nice to hear that people have seen my photos and, in some ways, knowing that there are people who enjoy my work keeps me motivated to continue.
What is the most important thing for your continued success?
I think it’s everything you learn along the way. You find out what does and doesn’t work, to put it simply. It saves time and effort and when you put into practice the things you’ve picked up, the results are greater and your confidence improves. I think ultimately if you’re determined to get to a certain place and you don’t take no for an answer, you’ll get where you want to be. I’m always working at making sure my work gets out there. Right now I’m sending out at least 10 e-mails a day.
What’s the best business advice you’ve ever received?
I’m entirely self-taught so I’ve never really had any advice or experience working in or with people from the industry. I spoke to a guy who models in London and Manchester and he told me to try and get work shadowing a photographer as a nice way of learning a bit about how things work in the industry.
What is most important in your photography?
Having a model and an idea that you really believe in. Photography is my medium and my outlet. When I’m on a shoot I slip into a zone where I’m so focused that I forget about everything else for a little while. I think you have to really like the look and style of the model you’re shooting and be really inspired by the idea. That way, the rest just happens naturally and intuitively. If the model can tell you’re feeling good about the shoot, they do too. You can bounce off each other.
For more beautiful images from Jack, be sure to visit his website. Or, take a look at his Facebook page.
