Justin Haddock
DMV Photographer
Justin Haddock Is a DMV based photographer who has the ability to take photos of all types. Justin started off as a musician who played guitar and sang but realized music was not his true passion. “ I just fell out of love with making music and gave it up. At this point, I was in a weird state. I needed a creative outlet but had no ideas about where to go. Eventually, I found a video from Erik Kim on YouTube about street photography. I loved the gritty, high contrast images detailing the more remedial aspects of day to day life in a creative and pleasing way” said Justin. Once he had decent equipment he branched out into portrait photography and integrated creative ideas to capture something rare that would make the images uniquely his own. We asked Justin who inspires him. He said “ Despite my online persona, I’ve always struggled with social anxiety. In the early days, street photography was a way for me to process and document my thoughts and feelings. I really pushed beyond my headspace by forcing myself to ask strangers for a portrait. Hitting the streets for a few hours with just my camera and headphones is still extremely therapeutic for me. These days I look to creators like Brandon Woelfel, Marc Klaus, Evan Raft, and still Erik Kim for inspiration. These creators are so different in so many ways, but their art is uniquely theirs and instantly recognizable. With portrait photography, my biggest inspiration is just the endless possibilities. When I shoot portraits outside, I love bringing beauty to the ordinary. I find a charm in more modest locations, and strive to always bring out a subject’s natural beauty in images that capture a bit of their story. When shooting portraits inside, I love the ability to be infinitely creative, and set up whatever scene with whatever lighting I please.
Specifically, though, I’ve been inspired by Brandon Woelfel who is my favorite portrait photographer, Marc Klaus who is my favorite self-portrait photographer, and Erik Kim who is my favorite street photographer. I highly suggest checking them out.” When Asking Justin about the style of his work, He said “ As I expand my repertoire into portrait photography and gain more experience, I definitely see myself developing a unique personal style. I learned photography on my own. I think in many ways that’s advantageous because I never internalized a set of rules that would constrain my artistic interpretation or expression and it has enabled me to develop a perspective and signature that are uniquely my own. I like to use color in innovative ways that hold a photo together, but aren’t rote or standard. I like to include subject matter that is more grounded and centered on the ordinary but with a twist of the unexpected - somewhat of a “beauty in the ordinary” combined with a style of editing that incorporates contemporary photography with my influences. That might be akin to the harsh contrast and bold blacks of Erik Kim, the vibrant soft pastel colors a la Brandon Woelfel, or a more retro neon flare of the Vaporwave art movement - I like to incorporate feeling into powerful photos to tell a story.
I hope people will be able to tell from the collections on my website that my street photography reflects my moods and at times, constitutes my therapy while the portraits are a collaborative effort geared toward highlighting some powerful essence of the client. Discovering, revealing, and capturing a client’s being in that way is really personally fulfilling for me and, honestly, is just a lot of fun. The rare moments when the street spontaneity and the personal reveal come together, like they did with the young boy and the older man, are really gratifying. “
Since Justin is such a diverse photographer, we wondered what his favorite types of shoot to do were. Justin said “ While I’m open to all bookings, I truly enjoy working with people who are looking for something less than traditional and who are willing to be creative and collaborative in making interesting and powerful art. I love those initial conversations, where someone will give me a cool idea and we ping-pong it back and forth. Sometimes people will just ask if I have any ideas I’ve been wanting to work on and they’ll give their spin on it. I do have a studio, and it’s very fun to play with lights and props, but shooting outside is always a great experience, and provides a more authentic feel. I am happy working one-on-one or with couples, and I’ve shot engagements, weddings, pets, concerts, and architecture, as well! Photography is my passion and I will rearrange my schedule if need be to accommodate a shoot. I love working with new people and can be contacted through my website, email, or Instagram. “
All artists are faced with challenges. We asked Justin to share some of his and he replied with “ Most of the challenges I’ve faced just come along with the learning process. I’ve made some of the typical rookie mistakes like buying an expensive lens I never used, and forgetting to change my shutter speed when going from outside to inside. Since I am self-taught and haven’t had a mentor or professional guidance, I’m learning from both my successes and my mistakes, and trying to become increasingly proficient every day. I’m pretty imaginative, though, and every mistake has helped me become more resourceful and creative in improvising and solving problems to get the shots I want.” The pandemic has had an impact on many artists. When asked how the pandemic impacted him, he said “ The pandemic absolutely had an effect on my photography. For one thing, of course all my sessions got canceled. It was a bummer, but it had to happen. Another effect was that there was just absolutely nobody on the streets. I try to do street walks at least once a week, and I love capturing human subjects in just the right light at just the right moment. That’s much harder to do when there’s no one outside. On the up-side, I have LOTS of awesome photos of my dog!” We asked Justin to share some highlights of his journey so far and he said “ Seeing people connect with my work, and understand the feeling I put into it is always extremely satisfying. My goal every time I shoot is to capture moments and tell a story, and someone connecting with that story is priceless. When someone tells me how my photography made them feel, it makes my day. Connecting with and receiving compliments from photographers whose work I admire, is always a great experience, too, of course. “ When asked what we should be expecting from Justin in the near future, he shared “ Finally, 6-foot photoshoots are again an option! So, I’m able to begin creating portraits of people other than myself, and I’ll be posting more of those soon. So while I’m opening myself up to many more portrait opportunities, I’m getting back into street photography as the DC area opens up, and I’ve started to get more creative with it, too. I was a hardcore traditionalist with my street photography as I was learning, but I’m at a point now where I’ve started bending the rules and putting bits of myself in to the work. I actually just finished a series on the architecture in Chinatown edited with a soft vaporwave feel with quotes and definitions. I hope to run additional “series” in the future and continue to expand my knowledge of photography, in general.” The last thing we wanted to ask Justin was if there was any other facts he wants people to know about him. Justin said “ Well, I’m a Software Engineer at GEICO and I love computers. I built my PC and have been into photo editing LONG before I was into photography. Another big part of my life is martial arts. On my 5th birthday, my father took me to a martial arts dojo, and I haven’t stopped since then. I had a very brief MMA career, and now practice Krav Maga at Krav CDK. Also, I just got a corgi puppy! His name is Roscoe and he’s appeared in a few of my posts on instagram, and probably will be in a few more in the future. I try to post every weekday on my instagram, @JCH_Images so follow me there to get all my updates! You can follow @KingRoscoeTheCorgi to get all his updates too. ;) “
Justins Message to his Supporters
You don’t need fancy equipment to get into photography. I started doing street photography with my phone, and later got a $100 camera that I used for the longest time. Don’t get deterred by seeing people with big studios, tons of lights, and a 5-pound camera. If you have ever felt a desire to try to capture the world around you, you absolutely should! It may take some time, though, to feel comfortable with expressing yourself. There is a great deal of vulnerability involved in photography - and sharing your work is, perhaps, the least of it.
Reach Justin Here
https://www.facebook.com/JCHImagesJCH/
JCHImagesDC.com
Instagram.com/JCH_Images
ContactJCHImages@Gmail.com
Photo Examples
