I could not have been more surprised to learn I was to receive the Paul Harris Fellow recognition from the Pacific Grove Rotary Club. The award, named after Rotary founder Paul Harris, recognizes service and contributions supporting Rotary’s mission of “Service Above Self.” I am very grateful to be part of such a welcoming and community-minded group of people here in Pacific Grove and am very humbled by it. I have not previously felt this desire to serve a community like I have since purposefully moving to Pacific Grove a couple of years ago. I will do what I can for as long as I can for PG.
Thank you to President Dr. Sarah Frahm and the other board members, and to Tracy for wielding my camera for me so I could be in these photos.
I was very glad to be asked back for a second appearance on Monterey On Tonight hosted by Gary Morris! My first appearance earlier this year turned into a conversation about photography, community, and especially drone video after they played my surprise engagement drone video on air. Now knowing the freewheeling interview style that Gary has, I had a few things prepared to talk about, but like before, things just went in a natural direction talking about my drone work and then how I got started in the photography business itself. It’s a rather unusual story about how I became a professional photographer, so be sure and listen to the interview about all the way through for the full story!
This shoot was a role reversal for me. Instead of being behind the camera, I asked my friend Felix to come into the studio to help make photographs of me! I am not often the one in front of the camera, especially not my own camera. Felix knows about photography some, and we have known each other for a while, so it was easier for me to relax a little while he was making headshots and branding photos for me that I really needed. I set up the lighting and the background, described what I was looking for in terms of photos to Felix, and he helped out also with posing ideas, getting me to relax (not look so serious, ha ha), and just general reassurance — all the things I do for my clients normally!
Appearing on Monterey On Tonight for a Live Interview!
Recently, I had the opportunity to appear on Monterey On Tonight, hosted by Gary Morris, and talk about my photography and drone work, my path to Pacific Grove, and the role visual storytelling plays for local businesses and individuals on the Monterey Peninsula. I submitted a bio and was told the interview would be about 10 minutes long, but that is all so I did not know exactly what to expect. Gary was most curious about the drone portion of my business so one of his producers pulled up my recent drone video of a surprise engagement and played it! Gary loved it and I loved having the drone video itself play on the air. I really enjoyed the overall experience of being on Monterey On Tonight and hope to be on again some day. Thank you to Hannah (who I met doing a radio interview 5 days earlier) for asking if I wanted to be on the show and for Gary for having me on!
A Fun and Thoughtful Conversation on Photography with Don Brooklyn
I had a great time this week joining Don Brooklyn on his KMBY radio show for a lively and thoughtful conversation about photography, creativity, and a few unexpected personal connections. One of the biggest surprises of the interview was discovering that we are both originally from Rhode Island, which led to some laughs about how far from home we both ended up here in Pacific Grove. We talked about the ongoing question of phone cameras versus “real cameras,” and I shared my perspective that phone cameras are good for quick snapshots in ideal lighting, but there is still no substitute for professional photography when it comes to controlling light, freezing motion, and working in challenging conditions. Don also shared that he recently picked up a new camera himself, so we may be continuing the conversation soon with a photography lesson. I really appreciated the opportunity to speak directly to the local community through KMBY, share some practical insights, and enjoy a genuine moment of connection with a fellow Rhode Islander.
I had the opportunity to present the story of how I became a professional photographer at 1 Million Cups this week here in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was a chance for me to really think about what was the start of my path to becoming a professional photographer. I realized it began back in 2001, on a trip to Thailand and Cambodia. I invite you to watch the video below to hear the full story. I begin presenting just a couple minutes into the video.
Go Local Boom is a local Albuquerque, New Mexico radio show dedicated to showcasing local businesses. I was interviewed about my photography business (Jason Collin Photography) where I had the chance to talk about how I got started in photography, how working for something you are passionate about is great, and how I go about teaching photography to people of wide ranging experience levels.
