Today we’d like to introduce you to Jackson Nichols.
Hi Jackson, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Ever since my dad took me to Carolina Gamecock baseball games when I was younger, I’ve always been interested in photography. He would bring his camera to capture the action on the field and every so often he let me take a few pictures myself. It got to the point where I would beg for him to let me shoot some. Eventually, I was gifted a camera of my own and I would walk around my neighborhood trying to find anything interesting. Then I started photographing animals at Riverbanks Zoo. Something about photographing living beings has always been exciting to me, but I let my social anxiety get in the way of photographing most people. That’s why animals worked, they didn’t care. Eventually, my love for photography began to fade and I abandoned it for a few years. It wasn’t until I took a film photography class in college that another door was opened for me. I didn’t take the class seriously at the time but the idea of film sparked something in me, it was new. Once I graduated college I knew I needed a hobby to fill my time while I figured out what to do next, so I took out the Canon EOS Rebel G I had bought in Savannah a few years prior. I don’t even know why I picked it up at the time, I had no interest in film, maybe I just thought it would be a nice display piece. Either way, I can’t help but feel like it was meant to be, if I didn’t already have one I would’ve just abandoned that idea all together. I fell in love with the analog process and as I did more and more research, I discovered a subculture I didn’t realize existed. It was around this time that I started working on season 4 of ‘The Righteous Gemstones’ for HBO. I met so many amazing people and built great relationships. After the show wrapped, I found my way in to shooting stills for short films some of my friends and colleagues were making. I discovered that by combining both my love for filmmaking and photography, that’s where I find the most enjoyment. Now I work at a local film developing lab and try to shoot as much as I can in my spare time.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Film photography can definitely be a struggle at times due to the cost of working in the medium itself. Film prices have only been going up and it’s becoming a turnoff to many people for that very reason. That’s part of the reason why I’ve recently started branching into digital photography as well, which has given me a lot of freedom. It can also be a struggle to just get out of the house, constantly asking yourself if it’ll be worth it or not. There have been plenty of days where I went out to shoot after forcing myself and coming home empty handed, but often times you can find something that exceeds your expectations if you give it long enough.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a photographer who focuses specifically on the film process. Most of my work has been shot in Charleston, I’ve lived here for close to three years now. I moved from Columbia to study film production at Trident Technical College. The photo I’m most sentimental for is one that I took at Riverbanks Zoo of a shark tail in the aquarium, it was one of the first photos I took while learning film that gave me the confidence to continue. I think my perspective and focus on black and white is what defines most of my work, I like to think I have an eye for detail and black and white accentuates that. I can spend minutes focusing on something as simple as the placement of a telephone wire in a frame.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
My love for the art form. Not just the act of doing it but also engaging with other photographers and their work, it’s the best way to learn and grow your own vision.
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