Connections, Emotions, and Light

Photographs By Jamal Mortimer

Photographer Jamal Mortimer discusses his growth as an artist and the importance of progressing on one’s own path.

Washington D.C., USA

What is your history as a photographer?

I always liked taking pictures from a young age, I would use my parents' cameras to take photos and make videos, but I never took it really seriously. It was just something I did for fun. When I was younger I was much more into playing the guitar and would share videos of my playing on youtube and that's what actually got me to buy my own camera. I got a canon 60d which had a flip out screen for making videos, and ended up taking photos on it too. After a while I was taking photos almost every day so I decided I should take it seriously. This was around the end of college in 2016, I took some graduation photos for my friends and got paid, that's when I started calling myself a photographer.

How have you grown as an artist?

I have a much better understanding of lighting that when I first began, and a more defined style. I have learned what lenses I like in what situations, how to compose and control light, and how to get the colors I want in Lightroom.

How would you describe your style?

I would define my style as moody, organic, and cinematic. I like to use wider lenses and move closer to my subject so that the viewer feels like they are physically and hopefully emotionally closer to the subject.

Who are your subjects and why do they inspire you?

My subjects are mostly people I know personally, and some people I've met through instagram. They inspire me because they are for the most part artists themselves but they live pretty normal lives like myself as none of us have "made it" yet. For the most part I portray them doing very normal things like smoking or just standing or sitting not really doing anything. I do this as an exercise in order to see how well I can transfer emotion through an image without the need for anything crazy happening within the image itself. I want my audience to feel connected to the subject in a way that feels real, almost like they could be there with them, but knowing that they never were it feels like a dream or a forgotten memory.

What is the story behind your favorite image?

IMG_8449.JPG is my favorite image so far. It was actually just a shoot I was doing to try taking still images with my cinema camera. I like to practice shooting a lot even to this day. I do all kinds of shoots on the day to day for clients, but I still think it's important to make time to do your own shoots to help you refine your skills and your style. These shoots are what ends up on my instagram for the most part. This image in particular I wanted to really emphasize this dreamy sky with beautiful clouds. I like the colors of the image a lot.

What have been some struggles you have faced in your photography journey? Some things you are most proud of?

At points I have felt like giving up photography for various reasons. It's very difficult to live as an artist because your path is much less defined than others. Because of this I became dissatisfied at times mainly due to comparing myself to others. I felt like my work was not good enough at one point, then at another point I felt like my work didn't get the recognition it deserved. I learned that all of that is pretty irrelevant; everyone is on their own individual path, and the only thing that is relevant is progressing on one's own path and the markers of success on your own path may look different than others. I'm most proud of being able to improve my skill. Over time I have been able to get my results closer and closer to my intentions and I am very pleased with that.

What's next for you?

Next I'll be working on more video projects photography has given me a good understanding of lighting color, and visual communication and I want to take that knowledge into my journey as a cinematographer.