We were lucky to catch up with Jp Bogan recently and have shared our conversation below.

JP, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with talking about how you serve the underserved, because in our view this is one of the most important things the small business community does for society – by serving those who the giant corporations ignore, small business helps create a more inclusive and just world for all of us.

As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I often work with queer people telling queer stories through my photography and video editing. As I found myself being more open and expressive with my identity, I have noticed that the queer market in the PDX area continues to find me as well. When it comes to telling queer stories in film, it is important to have an editor that goes through the footage with a respect for the queer human experience. In terms of photography, trans and gay people absolutely prefer working with someone who is also queer and outspoken about making them feel comfortable in their own skin rather than choosing from a sea of straight male photographers, whom don’t quite share the same respect for queer people.
I say all of this in relevance to serving the underserved because LGBTQ people are a minority in society and are, therefore, naturally underserved in these media services and beyond. I have experienced homophobia countless times in my own life and career, which has sprouted a passion for sharing queer stories and making safe places for all members of queer community in my work. I am a photographer and a video editor but in the wider scheme of things, I am an artist.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started in my industry as an audio mixer and musician in Eugene, Oregon. I was passionate about pursuing music for years as I worked at a music store. I then went back to school to study visual arts at UO. After school, I got a job at an ad agency in Portland, Oregon, as an Assistant Editor.
During my time in this position, I honed in my skills in video editing and photography. I also learned more about the possibilities of the media industry. I was eventually let go from this job and decided to try my hand at freelancing in media. Ever since then, I have been making a living as a contract worker in various ways. I have worked as a Photographer, Video Editor, Motion Designer, Camera Operator, DIT, DP, G&E, and PA. My clients consist of individuals, small businesses, local newspapers, and ad agencies.
To put a label on what I do, I am a Multimedia Specialist with a focus on photography and video editing. Clients come to me for quality content and media, whether it’s photo for websites, editorial, personal use or video content for commercial or documentary. I deliver clean aesthetically pleasing content with a friendly demeanor and a strong work ethic.
I stand apart from others in the industry because I am a Swiss Army knife creative with experience and know-how in audio, photo, and film through each step of pre and post production. My skill set is wide-ranging, which I attribute partly to having a B.S. in Art and Technology. In this program, I learned how to carry the fundamentals of art, design, and storytelling through any medium I encounter. That said, I love working in the arts, showcasing artists, and being able to collaborate with other creatives. As stated in the previous sections, I am also passionate about creating safe spaces for all members of the LGBTQ community to share their human experiences. I am proud to serve minority communities because I resonate with them and I want them be seen.

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

Photography is something I fell into, not something I had big ambitions for early on. I took classes on photography in school but I never really thought of it as something I would get further into. As I worked as an Assistant Editor in commercial film, I practiced art photography in my free time. I didn’t even take paying gigs; I just did it for fun. Once this job came to an end, the agency offered me a photography gig at Adidas campus later that week. This is when I started to take photography more seriously. After this gig, I started aggressively working on my photo portfolio and reaching out to my professional contacts and making cold emails. I did a lot of photoshoots for free at first to build my portfolio and promote on my social media. As I took more gigs, positive word of mouth helped me get more paying gigs. Working on film sets and in post-production was also really great for networking for my photography. Now, I shoot pictures consistently with a local newspaper called Willamette Week, a construction company, and I have clients reaching out all the time for portraits. I’ve also shot some significant music artists like Courtney Barnett and Future Islands. Photography now makes up about half of my income, with the other half coming from pre- and post-production film work.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the opportunity to travel and work with people. Getting to visit places that I wouldn’t normally visit is always fun and interesting. Getting to go to an artist’s studio to take pictures of their work is like peering through a window into their life. It allows me the opportunity to connect with and get the perspectives of unique talent all the time, which I value greatly. Seeing the looks on faces when they see beautiful pictures of themselves, their product, or their art is invaluable. Knowing that my services help my clients grow in professionalism, sales, and quality of life is so rewarding. It brings me great pride and joy when I am able to satisfy or stun a client with the material I present to them. That is the end goal every time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jpbogan.com
• Instagram: @jpbogan_
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jp-bogan-24336a22b/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jpbogan_art

Image Credits

Summer Luu, Larissa Bay, & Myself (JP Bogan)