We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jacob Warye a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jacob, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. 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?
Learning the craft of photography definitely is a practice makes perfect kind of scenario, except you won’t ever be perfect! It isn’t necessarily about mastering the craft of photography, but finding your own sense of style, enjoyment, and creativity throughout the process. It took many attempts to just understand the fundamentals of photography, shooting with a DSLR and Mirrorless camera, knowing the settings, equipment needed, and ultimately the time it takes to truly find that “it” factor you are trying to achieve with your own style!
Knowing what I know now, I could’ve easily just experimented new angles, settings, and creative layers in post processing much earlier, but that is the fun in this hobby! Finding out what works, what doesn’t, and what gets you that end result you are looking for even if you have shot the same frame 100 times, it’s all about nailing the shot YOU are trying to achieve and enjoying the process of getting to that point!
I think patience is one of the most underrated skills with aviation photography. You have to be patient and time things out to truly get the shot or angle you’re trying to achieve. Also learning your system and gear is crucial. It allows you to know the ins and outs of your setup and how you can maximize your ability to nail the shot! I wouldn’t say anything stood in the way of learning more, besides finding the time to get out and shoot. Photography is not my full time career so I try to get out as much as I can in my off time and shoot! It’s all about those unique perspectives and angles you don’t normally see that keep me poised and challenged throughout this hobby, and I love a good challenge!
Jacob, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Jacob Warye and I am full of positivity and enjoyment for this passion of aviation photography! I got into photography as a kid with my grandmother on our exploration trips to Yellowstone National Park and parts of the Western United States. We would always have a Kodak disposable film camera with us to take photos of us hiking, digging for dinosaurs, and all the special moments on our trips! My father was active duty Air Force so being around aircraft was always something I enjoyed! I didn’t start getting serious about my photography until 2019 where I really got invested in shooting the Blue Angels and more local military aircraft!
Through building connections, meaningful relationships, and sharing this passion of mine with others, numerous doors of opportunity have opened for me to explore this realm of owning a small photography business and at the same time still have a blast getting out and shooting aviation photography. For me, it all started with capturing aircrew, maintainers, and aircraft in action and giving back to those people as they typically do not get a lot of action shots of them performing their duties and in their element on a daily basis. It truly makes me the most happy when I get to share this photos with those people I capture and see their reactions to the final products!
I started my photography business in July of 2021 and work closely with NAS Pensacola’s Naval Aviation Museum along with a handful of other organizations both locally and around the world, sharing this passion for aviation photography and creativity. I am the sole Blue Angels photo print vendor at the museum’s Flight Deck Store which is the #1 place to purchase anything and everything Blue Angels! I also have designed and developed my online print shop which showcases a collection of photos ranging from the Blue Angels, to the F-22, to helicopters and much more! I try to make everything a fun and enjoyable process so making it easy for supporters and customers to purchase prints while at the same time getting to see their reactions when they receive their final product is truly heartwarming! It is definitely not about how many prints get sold or who purchases my products that makes it fun for me but is really about connecting, sharing, and inspiring others to have fun with photography and truly be your own creative genius and share that with others who enjoy it as well!!
I think the thing that truly sets me apart from others is the perspectives I try to capture. I am so far from perfect it is insane but I really like to get down and dirty and find those unique perspectives and angles that you don’t typically see whether it be on social media or in the newspaper or in a magazine! Finding something that is intriguing both to myself as a creator but also to the reader or viewer is something that motivates me and drives me to try new things and be better than I was the day before!
I do a lot of Blue Angels Photography here in Pensacola, FL along with having worked with 50+ military units and squadrons conducting photo ops with anything from Chinooks to F-16s to the mighty C-5 all the way down to the Huey! If there is a rotor blade, jet engine, prop, or afterburner nearby, you can bet that I am close by with my gear!
I am most proud of just how far this passion has brought me! It has allowed me to meet some of my best friends, make long lasting connections, and it has opened my eyes to how many others out there have a similar passion and enjoy aviation photography like myself! I want anyone out there who is interested in getting into this hobby or line of work to know that it truly isn’t about what gear you have or the access or popularity, but is truly about YOU as the creator and photographer. Find what makes you happy and strive to be great at it! Use it as a tool to try to help others, inspire others, share and create, and ultimately fulfill that passion that made you want to jump into it at the beginning! My brand and Warye_33 Photography is my way of showing how you can create your own lane through photography whether it be starting a business, building relationships in this field, or just hanging with people who enjoy this passion and creating connections with those around you! I never imagined that I would have the following on social media that I have or how many people would actually want to add my photo to their home or business but in reality, it is not about the numbers of followers or how many prints you sell or how many likes you get. It is about who you meet, connect with, and are able to help inspire down the road! You never know who you will come in contact with and they could easily open a massive door of opportunity when you least expect it!
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding thing for me is connecting, sharing, and inspiring others to find their passion and truly have fun doing it! Photography is so much fun and even with having a small business now, I try to make it to where it is not just “go and do another shoot” or “how many prints could I sell” but is more about capturing those special and unique moments and giving back to others whether it be aircrew, maintainers, or anyone that is captured in my photography!
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
I am no where near perfect especially when it comes to social media but I can say this, it is so important to be YOURSELF! Express who you are as a creator and photographer and don’t feel like you have to conform to other’s standards or try to mimic other’s photo editing styles. Find what you like to shoot, how you like to edit, and then share that passion with others! Once you start connecting with others who enjoy this like you do, it is super easy to have fun with it and continue to be creative with how you capture your photos or what angles you try to get! I try to be honest, down to Earth, and relatable to my audience as I am truly just another average dude who loves to be around aircraft and helicopters and capture them in action!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://warye33photography.darkroom.tech
- Instagram: @Warye_33.Photography
- Facebook: @Warye_33.Photography
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-warye
- Other: https://navalaviation.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=Jacob+Warye
Image Credits
Jacob Warye / Warye_33 Photography IG/FB: @Warye_33.Photography