We recently connected with Jonathan Puente and have shared our conversation below.
Jonathan, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
My “mission” in terms of what I do with my work, is to simply keep enjoying the process of creating, growing and expanding, whether that’s as an artist, professional or personally, while also supporting whoever I deeply connect with on my journey. With photography I have the capacity to tell my story, someone else’s or allow another artist to express themselves without constraint, and the amount of times I’m able to connect with unique, inspiring and even powerful individuals in their own right, is sometimes more rewarding than what I create. We’re all seeking different levels of connection in some form or another, even connection to this reality that we so often find ourselves disconnected from, or difficult to be present in the now moment either with ourselves or one another.
So if I can hold any type of space for someone to express themselves in whichever form they prefer, that’s profoundly rewarding, and endlessly intriguing.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
For those of you who don’t know me, I am a hybrid beauty and portrait as well as interior design photographer based out of Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY. I’ve had experience in a variety of photography projects for other brands including, lifestyle, fashion and product photography in New York, Arizona (where I’m from originally), California, and Austin, just to name a few. I started as an entrepreneur in Arizona, which has been useful approaching photography from a growth and monetary standpoint, not just from the creative side. I recently started focusing more on portraiture and beauty for the simplicity they provide, and interior design will always be an interest for me as well.
I was definitely an introvert growing up, and I was quite the impatient artist, rarely if ever finishing a drawing or painting. When my father started bring home film he had developed from trips, I was really intrigued by the various vantage points he was able to capture of nature and subjects. He tried training me with his limited photography knowledge, but I was so impatient I just wanted to grab the camera and start learning by trial and error, and this is how my photography journey began.
It wasn’t until years later that I got formal training through my Journalism degree in some photo journalism and broadcast, and eventually meeting my mentor who was semi retired in Tucson, Arizona, after he had a successful career with huge brands in Los Angeles, New York and abroad. From him I was able to learn the necessary technical skills in studio lighting and editing, that would’ve taken years through the traditional assisting route.
What sets me a part is a difficult question to answer, considering there are so many photographers now, and it’s an easy trap to fall into producing what everyone else is doing, As I mentioned previously with how my connection to people and hearing their stories is arguably what interests me most, I would say what separates me is the style in which I connect with subjects, and a background in journalism certainly helps in that regard. Also persevering through difficult times in my life, and being a very open book, I think easily disarms whoever I talk to because I believe fundamentally we all want to try and relate to one another at some level, as is true of the innate (for most) human desire to connect.
When it comes to client projects, I love finding out what about their business, product, design or overall direction is inspiring them, and hopefully incorporate that into whatever we are shooting, but that’s obviously not always the case especially when their is a specific art direction or deadline involved.
Have you ever had to pivot?
Covid is an easy example of this, and there’s very few I know that weren’t impacted, At the beginning of 2020 I was having the busiest start of any year prior, and was in the process of building a team and expand into other markets outside of Arizona. Going from that overflow of business, to a very slimmed out client base was very humbling. However, I knew there had to be a way forward rather than focusing on the problems at hand. Real estate was a saving grace in that I could photograph a home and not be concerned with social distancing limitations. and as things started opening back up, my background in business helped me meet businesses where they were at in trying to gradually re-open, and provide content and photography that matched their own pivoting business needs. .
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
A lesson I continue to unlearn, is listening too much to others who may water down your goals and visions. Some of the greatest people in history or current day celebrities, successful entrepreneurs, etc., had to ignore the limiting beliefs of others, who although were trying to give “practical” advice, were actually consciously or unconsciously projecting their own negativity or doubts in their own capabilities onto them. If you are passionate about your vision and the reality you are creating for yourself, even if the whole world around you stacks the odds against you, relive that vision of success and the feeling of obtaining it now, daily, until it hardens into fact in your external reality. I believe that is one of the fundamental keys to success even our predecessors have expressed openly countless times.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jonathanpuente.com
- Instagram: @jonathanpuentephoto
Image Credits
Galerie Philia
Alban Roger (Creative Director)
Caitlyn Casey (Hair and Makeup Artist)
El DeBratto (Makeup)
Jessica Suarez (Stylist)
Tony Tulve (Makeup Artist)
Rachel Hopkins (Hair Stylist)
Stephanie Wengerkiewicz (Stylist)