We were lucky to catch up with Jason Crowley recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jason, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

I’ve been a photographer since I was 17 years old. I’ve always photographed what I know, at first it was skateboarding. Later I shot street photography, portraits and fashion. I eventually landed on documentary work, but with an influence from those other ventures. When I left school in 2015, I began shooting commercially and lost touch with my personal work. It wasn’t until 2019, during the lock down, that I began to make art again.

My grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s that year. I began photographing her as a way to know her and spend time with her. I spent the following 6 years documenting her progression through the disease and the impact it’s had on my family, especially her relationship with my mom. I didn’t initially intended for anyone to see the work, it was just a shared activity and an act of love. Eventually, it became clear that it was something that could maybe have a positive impact on others who have lived through similar circumstances. The work became more intentional. I recently won a grant for it, The Bob and Diane Fund. It’s led by Gina Martin and honors photographic work made about those living with Dementia and Alzheimer’s. The Bob and Diane Fund has afforded me the ability to finish this work and to make a book of photographs honoring my grandmother.

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?

I graduated from SVA in 2015. I began working professionally right out of school, photographing events and editorial in fashion, music and art here in NYC. I’m really fortunate to have access to photograph the kind of work that I do commercially, documenting the scene here in New York. I think one of the major problems I solve for clients in my commercial work is navigating the complex landscape of celebrity culture in these genres, creating a familiarity with them that allows me to be involved without being intrusive. I find the people I’ve come to know best are the most comfortable around me, and are often the subjects of my best images. You don’t always have that kind of time and opportunity though, and a part of the job is learning how to just vibe with people quickly and connect. I’m proud of how I’ve managed to narrow the chasm between art and commerce in photography within my own work. I think every artist strives for that. My greatest success here has been working with musicians and other artists, documenting intimate and honest moments in their lives. I have a lot of favorites, but one that stands out is a portrait I made of Jennifer Hudson backstage at the re-opening of the Apollo Theater in Harlem. She was preparing to perform a tribute to the late Aretha Franklin, and it was a beautiful. The whole evening was magic and I was really lucky to be there. I love that about my job.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I only have a couple thousand followers on Instagram. It has in no way informed my ability to make work and work successfully as a photographer in the most competitive markets in the world. Social Media is definitely important and can help you progress your career if used correctly, but it isn’t a substitute for your camera or your ability as an artist. If you don’t have a lot of followers it doesn’t mean your work isn’t good, important, or positively impacting the lives of others. Social media is a marketing tool and therefor a different skill, so don’t get down about that. You may be the greatest artist of your generation, but a lack of engagement on social media posts will hopefully not deter you from continuing to make beautiful work, expressing yourself.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I want to tell human stories, create a record of those that I love, and hopefully leave something behind that can help others that struggle with similar issues which I’ve experienced.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jasoncrowley.me
• Instagram: @jasonecrowley

Image Credits

Personal photo, taken by Jason Lowrie

Nana, Anthony Romano, Irene Fong, James Patterson, Jennifer Hudson