We were lucky to catch up with Eric Jenkins recently and have shared our conversation below.

Eric , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

Hello, and thank you for inviting me to be a part of your amazing magazine. I think I knew  that photography is what I wanted to do professionally when I got to the point where I  couldn’t imagine doing anything else. Taking my camera and capturing anything makes me  happier than anything I’ve previously done career wise. 

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m a military veteran and a photographer. I’m currently completing my MBA at National  University. When I started photography, I had no interest in photography at all, I was a  graphic designer who had graduated about four months prior.  

One day, I was home, and I had this feeling like I needed to get outside for fresh air; and for  some still yet to be discovered reason, I decided to take my tripod, and a phone camera  mount with me. I have no idea what prompted me to grab the items, but I did and, I’ve been  shooting ever since. The first camera that I used to take photos was an iPhone 7 because  that’s the only camera I had at the time. I remember, it was like I was following a preset  plan, and I was just completing the steps. I created an Instagram account and began sharing  my work. Some of my first images were of abandoned shoes that I found all around  downtown San Diego. 

My first digital camera was an all-white Nikon J1 mirrorless, which I still have. What lead  to this being my first camera was while attempting to shoot landscape photos and  Windandsea beach in LaJolla California, my iPhone fell into the ocean, and I didn’t want to  just stop taking photos, so I searched Ebay and found my Nikon J1. I felt like dropping my  phone in the ocean, was the push that I needed to make the jump to an actual camera. I’m a  street photographer foremost but also love capturing landscapes and more recently, I’ve  began shooting portraits, headshots, and events. I think what sets me apart from other photographers is the fact that I can sometimes know exactly how I want an image to look  before, I even take the photo. I think with photography, I sort of break or even sometimes 

rethink the way that a shot is supposed to look in a way that more accurately captures my  vision. The thing that I’m most proud of is that I allowed myself to trust the path that was  set in front of me, because I had no idea where this creative journey would take me or that  

Three years later, I’d still be doing photography and pursuing it full-time. Before, I’d usually  just take the safe route and pursue a normal job. My first and original Instagram account  under the name of @soulscribe1 was hacked at the beginning of this year and I’ve been  fighting to get it back. You can still see my street photography under that name, however.  What I want potential clients to know about my brand is that I am completely open to any  creative idea that they bring to the table. The one thing that I love is when clients have an  idea of what they want to create; and as a photographer; I love being a part of the journey to  give life to their ideas. 

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I think that the most rewarding aspect of being a photographer is that I get to share my  creativity visions of the world around me with others. When I’m putting together a shot, I  look at things the way they are and the way that they have the potential to become. I love  being able to share the end results with everyone and especially when the resulting image is  exactly as I imagined it to be. I also love the fact that I get to meet a lot of amazing and  incredibly talented people. 

Is there a mission driving your creative journey?

My goal is to make photography my full-time job, well more of a career because when you  love doing something as much as I love being a photographer, it becomes way more than  just a job. I am working toward also having my work exhibited in art galleries, museums,  and airports. Yes, airports because I’ve began noticing that airports are becoming more and  more like creative hubs for showcasing an artist’s work. Generally, I just want to share my  views of the world around me with everyone. 

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.ericwolfephotos.art
• Instagram: Www.instagram.com/ericwolfephotos