We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jason Santiago. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jason below.

Jason, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

Theres two things that need to happen to make photographs successfully. The first is to make work, and the second is to examine the work of others. Essentially, I first learned how to photograph by continuously making bad photographs. I still make bad work; the difference, hopefully, is that my failures now, are more interesting than my failures were ten years ago. So you have to put in the hours, and be relentless in creating, and not being afraid of it being, in ways, unsuccessful. But that in itself is only half the battle, on the other side, you have to study. Knowing the history of art and photography, and really examining images from contemporary artists, and the masters is the fastest way to become better in your own practice. It’s a necessity. For myself, I’m constantly looking at the work of artists like Winogrand, Frank, Meyerowitz, Matt Black, and Parks to name a few. That list might be different depending on the type of photos your making, but for me the resinate with what I’m doing. For history and essays, reading ‘The Photograph as Contemporary Art’ by Charlotte Cotton, ‘On Photography’ by Susan Sontag, and David Levi Strauss’s ‘Between The Eyes’ have been extremely helpful in progressing my own work.

Jason, 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?

Well, for starters my name is Jason Santiago, and I’m a photographer. I kind of just fell into photography. In high School I knew I loved art; I was really interested in Ceramics, Printmaking, and Drawing. That lead me to choose to attend a Fine Art College, and I spent the first couple years as a Illustration major at The Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. I’m not sure how exactly to explain it, but I never felt like I was in the right spot, and it wasn’t until I took a darkroom printing class that I felt things finally start to click. Photography seemed like it could become a voice for me, and it was the first time I felt like I could eventually do something well. After that course I immediately switched my major, and I never looked back. In 2010 I graduated with both a Bachelors of Fine Art in Photography and a mound of student loan debt. After college I’ve worked in commercial product studios, with portrait photographers, and in Architectural photography studios. I basically ran the gamut of photo disciplines, and never found a niche that made me feel the same way as working on personal projects in college did. So that’s where I focus my energy now, working and making personal documents of the world around me. I’m originally from the midwest (very different from where I am now in California), which I think is a big reason why I’ve been drawn to creating projects that focus on the beach, and how people live and interact with one another in that environment. Unexpected human nature playing out on the streets, and how that looks photographed, will always be a major study in my work.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Top 10ish books that have helped me as an Artist. (In no particular order)

1) The Americans by Robert Frank
2) On Photography by Susan Sontag
3) The New Tide Early Works 1940-1950 by Gordon Parks
4) Modern Color by Fred Herzog
5) The Decisive Moment by Henri Cartier-Bresson
6) The Photograph as Contemporary Art by Charlotte Cotton
7) The Street Philosophy of Garry Winogrand by Geoff Dyer
8) Magnum Contact Sheets
9) On Photographs by David Campany
10) Between the Eyes by David Levi Strauss
11) How I Make Photographs by Joel Meyerowitz

How did you build your audience on social media?

Don’t do it to be social media famous. Be real, be open, reach out to other creators, talk to people kindly, be engaging, and share your best work. People will find you, that appreciate what your doing.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jasonsantiagophoto.com
• Instagram: Santiago_bside

Image Credits
Jason Santiago