We were lucky to catch up with Jamaree Woods recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jamaree, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

I feel like I did start my career sooner. I took it seriously in 2018 as I entered my second semester at Morehouse College. At that time, I was struggling on trying to fit in on campus, so I thought me getting a camera for Christmas would solve that problem. Instead, I fell in love with how different I was from others after I got my first camera. I gave myself the “campus photographer” title when I started shooting. There were other media outlets on campus, but the only difference was that I was the only photographer providing content for the school and myself without having to be fully committed to any on-campus clubs. Looking back I feel like everything played out perfectly. I would say I was meant to be a photographer due to the fact I use to take pictures on my mother’s laptop every day after coming from middle school. That was the same time I moved schools and to make sure I kept in contact with all my friends from Wilson Middle School my friend, Kathlyn Miller, set up a Facebook account for me. From there I was taking photos of myself and placing crazy edits on there. I don’t know who I thought I was back then with those edits and photos but if it wasn’t for her continuously telling me to make a Facebook I wouldn’t be the influencer I am today.

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?

My name is Jamaree Woods (Jwoods) and I am from Pasadena, California. I provide media services for artists and entrepreneurs. One problem I see myself solving with my clients is getting them out of their creative shells. Everyone that is in front of my camera has the potential to present something to the world with a simple image. I am not like other photographers in a lot of ways. I set myself apart by telling a story about my upbringing in California. I don’t speak a lot about my images but I think it’s obvious that some see a message in certain things I post. As a photographer, I am proud of showing these obvious messages showing where I come from and how I am influenced by it. I would want my future clients to know that my work is not simple. I want to work towards seeing my work on the billboards, Time Square, news, etc. It is my mission to get these done before I turn 25.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

One lesson I had to unlearn is following the “rules” as a photographer. I had to unfollow that lesson quickly, no questions asked. Listening to other creatives on how a photo should look, how I need to edit, what lens I need, or whatever messed me up as a creative. It made me stagnant in my work and I had to get rid of that habit. The first shoot I did with Seddy Hendrinx and G Herbo in 2020 gave me that “I don’t care what I learned and what he or she told me to do editing-wise, I’m going with the flow and whatever happens happen”. At that moment I saw my surroundings and immediately told myself that every edit I make has to focus on my favorite colors (red, black, white, and grey). To this day, my breaking the “rule” of desaturating colors gave me attention on Instagram and influenced others to edit the same way.

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My Instagram username has been the same since I was in high school so it is very easy to say I’ve been building my followers since 2013/2014. In 2020 I stayed at 7k until I did my first shoot with Seddy Hendrinx and G Herbo in December 2020. I remember we were told to not post anything until the video dropped to not spoil the process. The next day, I was traveling back to California and I receive a lot of direct messages, likes, comments, and followers the minute I got off the plane. Turns out that DJ Drama posted one of the photos from that set and I kind of panicked due to him posting that photo before the video dropped. But it’s DJ Drama, I was in the green light at the moment to piggyback and post the photo too but I decided to wait. I stood at a good 9k from that point. The moment the group chat texted me with, ” Post your photos! Video is out now on Youtube.” I posted the picture DJ Drama posted with some of my favorites from the set as well. A good week goes by and I’m looking at 10.2k followers. Excited as hell I was, but I had to remain humble and start working towards photographing more artists that I promised I would shoot from my Apple Music Playlist. I am more than halfway towards that goal right now. My advice to those starting the build on social media is to be real and don’t listen to the “fake it to you make it” story. You would love it when you are yourself and you end up meeting one of your followers that you might have inspired due to you not acting like someone that you weren’t.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jamareewoods7.myportfolio.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jwoods_14/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0W9xKLwqLDNJf6A6CeFA-w

Image Credits
All additional photos shot by @jwoods_14/@underratedflix