Interview With a Photographer | Callum Jackson
Where’s home?
My home town is Adelaide, South Australia. I have lived there for 20 out of my 22 years.
What is the favourite place you’ve travelled to?
There are so many incredible countries and cultures around the world, each with their own unique landscapes and people, which makes it hard to choose an absolute favourite as there are so many factors to consider! But I would have to say Vienna, Austria has stood out to me the most on my travels outside of Australia so far, the city is full of incredible architecture as well as friendly people and amazing food!
How did you get started as a photographer?
I have always had an interest in photography, which began at a young age with a cheap disposable camera taking photos of random things around my house and garden, and has stuck with me throughout my lifetime with my phone camera and eventually the DSLR I bought a few years ago. I think for me, I sometimes found it difficult to communicate all of my thoughts and feelings verbally, so photography has been a means of communication that has allowed me to express the exact feelings, and emotions that I want to convey in ways that words just couldn’t.
What camera equipment / software / tech do you use? Any must haves?
I currently shoot with a Nikon D750. In terms of lenses I currently use a Tamron 15-30mm f2.8, Sigma 35mm f1.4, a Nikon 50mm f1.8, and a Tamron 70-200mm f2.8. For editing I mainly just use Lightroom as I find it does everything I need it to, and it’s easy to navigate through. I don’t think there are any must haves as no matter what gear you use, it is always possible to achieve good images if you know what you are doing, however better equipment will allow you to increase the quality of your images to a more professional standard if that is what you are aiming for.
What photographers have influenced you, how you think and shoot?
Chris Burkard has been a strong influence with his amazing adventure and landscape photography, and Zach Allia has been an inspiration with his portrait work. But there are so many great photographers to be inspired by out there, especially on Instagram!
Any top tips for Instagram?
As I mainly shoot with the intention of using my images for Instagram, apart from some client work, I try to shoot vertical as often as possible as vertical images take up the most real estate on Instagram. I find they are much easier for people to look at than horizontal images, which often leads to a better engagement. Many Instagrammers try to stick to a tone theme for their account to increase engagement, however I don’t think that is always necessary and I find that by doing that, you can sometimes limit the potential of an image by only using certain tones to fit your feed when the image may look much better another way. So with my feed, I don’t have a specific tone theme, but rather try to make each image look the best it can, whether that is in a colour theme similar to other images on my feed or not.
What are you trying to communicate through your photographs?
Through my photography, I try to create a feeling of wonder and awe for my followers in each of the images I upload, and try to show each place I visit in a unique and creative way to make others want to visit those locations.
What motivates you to continue doing what you’re doing?
I always love to challenge myself with photography, and knowing that every time I go out to shoot, I will get something different, even if I go to the same place on a different day is something I find fascinating. The uncertainty of what I will find when I go somewhere is what excites me and drives me to keep doing what I’m doing. It is also great to hear from other people that they are enjoying my work and that I have inspired them to get out more and see more of this amazing planet we live on.
Are you a bathroom singer?
I do sometimes enjoy a good song or two in the bathroom, however the location is irrelevant for me. When I feel the need to sing, it will happen no matter where I am around the house or car!
Do you have any advice for young aspiring photographers?
My advice for those just starting out is to continue to do what you love with photography, but don’t force yourself to. If you find after a while you are not enjoying shooting certain things, don’t keep doing it just for the sake of an Instagram post or because you think others will like it. At the end of the day you need to enjoy what you do, and if you work hard and persevere in what you love, you will eventually find some level of success with it.
What are your goals for the future, regarding your work?
I would like to continue to develop my skills in photography in the future by shooting regularly and experimenting with different ideas and concepts. I hope to continue having photography take me to more incredible destinations around the world as there is so much out there to be seen and explored!
