Today we’d like to introduce you to Jon Gifford.
Hi Jon, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am Jon Gifford of Jon Stacy Photography. Stacy is my middle name and it seemed to ring better than “Jon Gifford Photography” so I ran with it.
I picked up a Nikon N50 to use when I worked off-shore oil and gas exploration in the Gulf of Mexico. It was a film camera, so I would take shot after shot of crews working drilling operations. I would have to wait two weeks to get back to shore and develop the film, it was agony waiting.
Each trip back, I thought my photos were pretty amazing, but to be sure I asked friends to be brutally honest and tell me what they thought. I got nothing but genuine excitement over my photos.
This is where it began, I realized that I might have an eye for photography, trying to remain as humble as possible.
I began photographing families, this is where every photographer seems to start off, I got better and better with lighting and composition, practice, practice, and more practice. I leaned on my friends who shot for People, Time, and CMT magazines for criticism.
I photographed everything! There is not a photography gig I would not turn down. One of my professional colleagues grabbed ahold of me and told me “Don’t be a jack of all trades and a master of none.”
I took this to heart and decided to specialize in headshots, I thought that would be easy to master. What I didn’t know was this is one of the most challenging photography genres to master. This is so because the photographer has to master photographing the person, their personality. It is not a situation to just smile and say cheese.
So I continued to hone my skill, and thankfully I am a talker, because this is how I was able to make the client feel comfortable and just show me their natural self, without the cheesy, fake smile.
A few years ago when on a set, I began to see visions of shots, poses, and lighting flash in my mind. I would hurriedly move the client and change the lighting if needed to reproduce what I had just seen in my mind.
My clients think I am entertaining and fun to shoot with because I try to keep things light and not the routine photo shoot. I often show my clients some of the shots during the shoot, as I find this gives them more confidence and results in a more successful shoot.
In 2021 I began to dive into videography, which I never thought I would do, then I got a drone and became a licensed drone pilot. What do you know? I was able to get up in the sky now and see things from a whole new perspective. I started a spin-off called Karma Aerial Systems. I spent much of 2020 practicing and honing the skill of buttery smooth video from the air, much like what you see in feature films.
Low and behold I am now poised to perform aerial video for two independent films being filmed in the area in the next few months.
I am a rebel photographer at times, This is my creative outlet. I sometimes photograph controversial things to express what I feel from what I see happening in the World.
I unintentionally project messages on all sides of the political spectrum, so it is difficult for a person to label me. I am an equal opportunity photographer who shoots to express ideas and emotions, and I am also a professional artist. My art projects open-mindedness, beauty, controversy, and strife, all at the same time. I invite you to view my work and come to your own conclusion. Thank you.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been an easy road. I talk about this a lot with other photographers. A lot of people come to a point where they say “I am going to go buy a camera and be a photographer!” This is great, I welcome any and all into this wonderful experience. The problem that arises is that the market is so supersaturated with “photographers” that it is extremely difficult to win success with cold calling, or handing your card to someone you just met.
This is because everyone knows someone who is a photographer. It may be a relative, or just a friend. They may be amazing, or not so much. Even if they are not amazing, people will support them in their growth and not deviate to someone else. And they should support budding photographers, by all means.
But, alas, this leads back to my original thought, the market is supersaturated. So you better be the absolute best, not mistakes, absolute mind-numbing photos that will make people claw their way to you for their photos.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I photograph people’s true selves and get pretty amazing videos from the aerial perspective.
From a photography standpoint, I specialize in headshots and aerial video
I am known for capturing a person’s personality, and also for capturing pretty amazing aerial video in a way which is not commonly replicated.
I am most proud of my commitment. Even in the face of a super-saturated market, I told myself, I will make people cry, laugh, shout, and smile when they look at my work. If you do this, you will win!
I am set apart from others because I think outside the proverbial “box.” I strive to stay cutting edge and break away from the norms. People get tired of the same old thing, so I am always going for that different look. I am almost to the point where people know it’s my work right when they see it.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
People can work with me off several social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. I broke away from traditional websites long ago as the value and new client acquisition from a typical website just wasn’t there.
I have way more following and interaction from the three platforms than any website I have ever built.
Pricing:
- $250 for an average photoshoot
- $200 for family shoots
- $200 / hour for aerial videography
Contact Info:
- Email: jstacygifford@gmail.com
- Instagram: jonstacy_photography
- Facebook: Jon Stacy Photography
- Youtube: Karma Aerial
Image Credits
Jon Gifford
