We caught up with the brilliant and insightful JK Adams a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi JK, thanks for joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
I’ve always been a fan of self learning. Youtube and the creators who share their techniques to teach others has been my biggest source of learning the ins and outs of photography and how to achieve certain looks from the photo to the final edits. When I first picked up a camera I was intrigued by how a scene or subject can be interpreted in different ways simply by changing angles or a few camera settings. The most essential skill for me to learn when starting out was simply how to properly expose an image. From there, learning how to manually adjust camera settings and process raw images were a close second. As far as obstacles, time is the only thing that comes to mind. Between owning and running a business and having a young daughter there wasn’t a ton of extra hours to fit in dedicated camera time.
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 the people that do know about me and my work it’s probably mostly for the Blue Angels photographs I’ve managed to get over the past 2 (2021, 2022) seasons. When I was starting to pursue photography, I had aspirations of being a great landscape photographer, it wasn’t until the Blues did their final flight in their old legacy hornets that I actually set out to shoot the team. I ended up getting a pretty awesome shot of them as they flew over Navarre Beach pier and from there my desire to continue shooting them grew. I had been a long time Blue Angels fan from when I was a kid in the 80’s, my first airshow being their first season flying in the F-18.
Since the beginning of the 2021 show season my work has improved quite a bit. The addition of lens upgrades for the extra reach and learning new post processing techniques has allowed me to make images that are truly memorable. During the 2021 season I was lucky enough to get a photo of Commander Ben Walborn, then the #5 lead solo pilot, creating a vapor cone as he executed the sneak pass down Pensacola Beach. This photo ended up being included in a photo book that was gifted to the pilot as a Christmas gift. To date, that is the single greatest honor I have received as a photographer!
As a photographic artist, I live for the print! Photography was meant to be enjoyed in its physical form, not just on our computer and smartphone screens. I spend countless hours editing, proofing, and honing each image until it is exactly as I envisioned it being displayed. Having clients spend their hard earned money on my work and knowing that it’s a part of their everyday lives is beyond humbling and something I’m extremely proud of!
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My main goal and mission is to improve my photography each and every time I pull out the camera. Whether it’s a landscape, Blue Angel, or a home I’m shooting for realtors and vacation home owners…I always find something in the work that can be improved upon and make a concerted effort to do it better!
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
For myself the most rewarding part is when I set out with an exact shot in mind and absolutely nail it! It’s a culmination of study, practice, and determination that comes together just right.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jkadams.art
- Instagram: instagram.com/jkadamsphoto
- Facebook: facebook.com/JKAdamsPhoto/
Image Credits
JK Adams