Photographer Profile: Jordan Weeks

Where are you based?

I live in Cornwall in the far south west of the UK. Although I have moved away on several occasions to work for various photographic magazines and companies, I always find myself drawn back to my home county.

What's your preferred subject matter?

I love photographing sports, and not in a snap happy style either. I try to be as creative as possible, and spend a lot of time researching new angles and ways to achieve images. One of my most recent investments allows me to mount my camera to a cyclist's bike, a surfer's board and much more. It allows me to create some awesome images which people really seem to love! however in recent months I have slowly become fascinated with travel and landscape images. Living on the cornish coast provides me an awesome backdrop, and so many different lighting scenarios that you can almost always head out with your camera and come back with some great results.

What first got you into photography?

I first got into photography when I was 16 or 17 when I was studying it for my A-levels. Initially it never really interested me, but when I realised just how creative it could be, I really started to get involved.

Are you a digital or film photographer?

I love digital, mainly because my clients demand a quick turn around time for the photography, if film were cheaper and as quick and easy, I'm sure I'd have stuck with it but in saying that, there's a certain degree of clarity in digital images that film could never achieve. I now shoot exclusively on digital SLR bodies having ditched film in 2007.

Where do you go to shoot and how do you prepare?

I shoot all over Europe for various companies. I love the idea of not knowing what's coming next and I often get people call me asking if I can photograph for them with little notice, which means I have to be very flexible with my time. If i'm not abroad on a commission, i spend a lot of time walking with my camera, as you never know when the next opportunity will present itself.

What equipment do you use?

I exclusively shoot using canon professional gear as it's the only equipment which I feel that I can rely on 100%. Canon EOS 1D MK2 Bodies
Canon EF 15mm f2.8 fisheye
Canon EF 17-40mm f4 USM
Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8 L IS USM
Canon EF 300mm f2.8 L IS USM
Canon Speedlite Flash Units
Pocket Wizards

How does Pixaria fit into your workflow and what other tools do you use?

My workflow has been slowly coming together over the years, and has now reached a point where it seems to run smoothly. After a shoot, I'll drop all my images into Apple's Aperture, make necessary adjustments, add the keywords and captions etc. and then upload the final results to Pixaria. For a typical shoot, it usually takes about an hour for the images to become live on my website.

What features do you like most about Pixaria?

Pixaria has provided me with what I had always wanted from my photography and website. I particularly like the feature where clients can use the drop down menus to obtain specific prices for an image, its very neat and can be customised to suit my prices, and criteria.

What has been your greatest achievement (in photography) to date?

I've been lucky enough to travel to some amazing places for commissioned work, but the achievement I'm most proud is that when I was studying photography at the age of 16, my lecturer always told me that I wasn't going to go anywhere with my work. My current situation proves how wrong they were!

What are your plans for the future?

To continue to build up my client base, and continue in the field of work I am currently in. I feel so lucky to be able to earn an income from doing what I love.

Has your work ever been published?

Yes, mainly within European based magazines to date but it's also appeared in publications in the US.

What do you think is driving change in photography at the moment?

Probably people's ever growing demand for images as they happen. Clients require images now almost immediately as they are taken, and with some of today's equipment this is now possible. It's crazy how fast photography has developed over the years, even since I've been shooting.