On this episode of the podcast Matt Porteous drops in to talk about how he went from creating a successful business as a stone mason to becoming one of the go to portrait photographers for the Royal Family, building his own successful commercial studio, and creating a staggering amount of personal photography and film projects as well as multiple outlets to showcase them in. Matt grew up on the small island of Jersey in the U.K. It was there that he fell in love with the ocean and the culture that surrounded it. He spent most of his days surfing and dreaming of one day traveling the world in search of better waves. At an early age his mother remarried and Matt found himself not only introduced to more disciple in his life, but also to the many new adventures that his stepfather began taking him on that would shape a lot of his adventurous attitude for years to come. Matt had also become fascinated with photography during his younger years thanks to a small underwater camera that he constantly carried around with him, but it would be in his early 20s as he set out to travel through Indonesia, Australia, and other surf locations that the camera became a more important tool that he understood could tell a story. After returning home from his travels he felt it would be a better career move to continue to pursue work in the trades, and formed what would become a fairly successful stone masonry company. As he worked at that business he continued to constantly try and hone his skills in photography, until one day he finally made the decision to chase his dreams of becoming a professional. He walked away from his business and the rest is history. During our conversation Matt talks about how he first began building the portfolio that would help him create a successful wedding photography business, the way he ended up first working with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, how he created enough time to constantly continue to pursue his love of adventure photography, and the advice he gives to those coming up in the creative world trying to decide the right path to take.
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On this episode of the podcast I sit down with automotive and lifestyle photographer and commercial director Jeff Stockwell to talk about how he turned a professional career as a rollerblader into becoming a sought after photographer working with some of the biggest car companies in the world. Growing up in San Clemente Jeff always felt like an outsider because the things he was most passionate about seemed to be outside the norm of those around him. Although he lived in a beach town, he had little interest in the ocean, and while surrounded by skateboarding, he gravitated more towards rollerblading and quickly began to gain recognition in what was then an exploding sport. Through competing, video parts, and team sponsorships Jeff traveled the world and began to form the foundation of what would later become a visual aesthetic that would serve him well. Although he was one of the top pros in the county, roller blading wasn't quite cutting it for paying the bills and so Jeff stayed close to the industry of his other passion....cars. He worked in a machine shop and continued to learn more and more about the mechanical world and figured that would most likely represent his future. It wasn't until years later when an opportunity arose to assist a busy automotive photographer that Jeff started to realize that he could combine his love of cars with his creative side and became fascinated with the world of photography. Jeff put in his time working his way up in the assisting world, but before long he began to attract the attention of other art directors and decided to set out on his own. The rest is history, and Jeff has proven he has his own vision as an artist and the drive it takes to succeed in a very competitive industry. During our conversation we talk about constantly shooting test work and how that helps you to not only stay sharp, but to remain relevant in the midst of so may other shooters, what it was like making the decision to go out on his own after years of steady work as an assistant, how his love of vintage clothing, architecture, and cars influences his photography, and the advice he gives to others coming up in the creative world.
To Learn More About Jeff Stockwell Visit:
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https://www.instagram.com/jeffstockwell/
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Renowned celebrity portrait photographer, documentary filmmaker, host of the popular show "Off Camera", and man of many creative pursuits Sam Jones joins the podcast to talk about how he went from a kid growing up in Fullerton, CA with a focus on skateboarding and punk rock, to creating a very successful career as a photographer and filmmaker. During his younger years Sam always had a lot of outlets for creativity. Whether he was playing music in many of the bands he was in, drawing cartoons for his school newspaper, or riding his skateboard, Sam was beginning to shape the way he viewed the world around him. During his third year of college he decided to take a photography class, and with the encouragement of his good friend Neil Blender, start creating images of what was around him. Although music was still the main goal, Sam began to work as a photojournalist for his school paper, which quickly lead him to becoming a stringer for national news outlets. Before long he found himself on a plane to New York to chase the growing dream of creating a life for himself in the world of photography. During our conversation Sam tells me the story of how he created the image of Chris Rock for Vanity Fair that would help launch his career to another level, what it was like learning how to become a documentary filmmaker while actually in the midst of making a film about Wilco, how he juggles all of his creative pursuits and how he feels that keeps him from ever burning out, and the advice he gives to others who want to make a life for themselves in the creative world. Given his background in the DIY world of punk rock and skateboarding, and all is creative pursuits, it's no wonder that Sam is just as comfortable having a long conversation with someone like Robert Downey Jr, as he is taking his portrait.
To Learn More About Sam Jones Visit:
https://www.samjonespictures.com
To Watch or Listen to Off Camera Visit:
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