Photographer Spotlight: Jodi Wilson

Photographer Spotlight: Jodi Wilson



Located an hour north of Seattle is the charming little city of Monroe, Washington. This is where Jodi Wilson, owner of JW Photography lives and works as a photographer. I was lucky enough to tour Jodi’s studio and explore some of her favorite outdoor spots to shoot. Surrounded by towering pine trees, Monroe sits between the Snohomish and the Skykomish rivers – and offers a calm and woodsy vibe. A place that is a photographer’s haven.

 

Jodi is the latest photographer we’re featuring in our Photographer Spotlight series, and is one of several people we’re highlighting to help celebrate Swappa’s new marketplace for used camera gear. While we’re excited to share what gear these photographers use, we’re also interested in learning more about these visual artists – why they became photographers and what some of their most memorable shoots have been.

 

As a portrait photographer, Jodi captures the personality of her subjects – their mood, their feeling for the day. And she does an excellent job finding those moments of sincerity as her subjects smile and pose for the 100th time that day. What’s really striking about her images is how she captures the light to make the image and the subject really pop. The composition of her photos are works of art, with the subject, background and lighting working together to create stunning images. Jodi’s work has been printed in Rolling Stone US, Rolling Stone Australia, Lufthansa magazine, Fitness Magazine’s blog, Seattle magazine, and Dirt Rider magazine.

 

I sat down with Jodi to learn more about her photography and what type of camera gear she uses.

 

What type of photography do you specialize in?

I specialize in photographing high school seniors and their families. I am located in Monroe, Washington but shoot all around the Pacific Northwest. I also do a bit of destination sessions when traveling.

 

Why did you become a photographer?

I am from Fargo, North Dakota. I went to college for Graphic Design Technology. I was required to take a photography class in order to get my degree in design and realized at that point that is what I wanted to do. I went to college in Willmar, MN and now have an AAS degree in Graphic Design and Professional Photography (along with a diploma). I received a scholarship for my retouching. I was 2008 Minnesota Student Photographer of the Year and had 3 out of 4 merited prints during my first ‘competition.’

 

After photographing anything I could get my hands on when I first started (weddings, babies, animals, seniors, families, corporate, etc).  I realized I loved photographing high school seniors and knew that is what I wanted to pursue. It keeps me ‘cool’ – in fact I scored an 11/12 on the ‘Are you on Fleek’ quiz – so I’m definitely still relevant in their world.

 

What is typically in your camera bag?

CURRENTLY in my camera bag you will find:

Canon 5 D Mark III
Canon 70-200mm L Series Lens
Sigma 50mm Art Lens
– Canon Speedlight 580EXII
– Transmitters for the lights I bring on location
– Wireless speaker so my seniors can play their music during the session
– Gray disc
– Spare batteries / charger
– Reflector

 

What’s the one piece of equipment you bring to every shoot?

I LOVE my Sigma 50mm Art lens. It was my cheapest lens, but I love it because it is super sharp, light and focuses quickly. This is definitely a lens I use at EVERY session.

 

What piece of equipment would you like to upgrade to?

I would love to purchase a 35mm lens and an 85mm. Reason being (for the 85mm) is because my 70-200mm lens is EXTREMELY heavy and I actually have to wear a wrist brace to shoot with it. The 85 is quite a bit lighter, but still gives a beautiful depth of field on portraits. Reason for the 35 is because I sometimes wish I could zoom out a bit – I prefer using prime lenses over anything with a zoom.

 

What phone are you currently using?

I currently have the iPhone 7 Plus. I’ve only had iPhones as smartphones as they sync better with my computers, calendars and life! The ONLY ‘camera’ I take with me on vacations is my phone. However I take a lot of photos of places on vacation and not so much people.

 

What advice do you have for up and coming photographers?

My advice for budding photographers that want to make this in to a career is to find a good mentor. Whether it’s another photographer or business person. This can be such a fun, rewarding job, but if you get burnt out and aren’t making money in the process, you can easily feel defeated. They (whoever ‘they’ are) say being a photographer is 20% photography and 80% business.

 

Where can people find you online?

You can find me online at jwphotographystudio.com or on Instagram at @jwphotography.

 

Thanks to Jodi for chatting with us about her photography!

 

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