Photography by Uncle Jim? Oh, man, who really knows… My mom called me the other day to ask me when so-and-so did that thing that was worthy of a photograph way back when… what was that one kid’s name and who are the people in this picture?! There’s a lot going on in a photograph. It’s generally about keeping up with times gone by. My day would tell me “don’t stick your tongue out, come on! Let’s take a nice picture… and don’t forget to write on the back of it so we can remember who was in it… Might as well not even take the damn thing if you don’t’ know who’s in it!!”
Getting your picture made used to be quite a big deal. It was about a family in their Sunday best or because they were all together for the holidays. In front of the camera, folks were who they wanted you to think they were, at least this was the case for my people. Some of us weren’t afraid to make a funny face at the camera, others of us wanted to look like a supreme court justice!
In learning this trade I’ve met all types. The honorable and the zany… here’s the dirty little secret that both have. ALL OF US ARE BOTH! Humans have their guard up… a person is reserved and proper that’s because that’s their comfort zone. If they want to clown and make faces, it’s because that’s how they feel comfortable interacting with the world. In front of a camera, it is their center that keeps them safe from the permanence of a photograph. It’s my job to befriend our subjects, to help them feel comfortable with me and accentuate that comfort… tell a joke, show my vulnerability to them and let them know that I’m just another human, providing a service to them and their loved ones. Making a detailed record of them at this very unique time in their lives so that no one down the line will have to ask If there’s a nice picture of Uncle Ken, they’ll only need to turn to the wall and look at the record that’s on display in their home. The portraits that Jordan Photography hung there for them!
Jordan Photography 