INTERVIEWS
PHOTO CREDIT: PETER J-THow did you get started in photography and what made you want to do it in the first place? Peter: Getting into photography was a quick thing for me - I bought a Nikon D3300 when I was 18 and got a photo pass less than a month later to shoot my first show. I applied (without any experience) to photograph a small show in my area and somehow was approved. After shooting that first show, I just kept finding concerts to photograph as often as I could. I originally bought my camera because I was interested in filming my own guitar covers, which I was filming on an iPod touch and editing on free trials of whatever software I could find. I had always loved music and wanted to be apart of it, and quickly realized I was better at and more interested in camera work than guitar. What would you say was your “big break” in your photography career? Peter: To be honest, I feel like I am still waiting for a “big break”. I think getting the opportunity to create content on tour or directing a great music video would accomplish that for me. That being said, I think my biggest break so far was coincidental. I photographed a Lil Yachty show at UConn, and the company that produced the show happened to see my photos and reach out to me. Since then, I have had the chance to work as their photographer or videographer to document shows throughout the Northeast. Through them, I’ve covered artists like Steve Aoki and A$AP Ferg, so it was a little bit of luck that led me to a great opportunity. What have been some highlights of your career so far? My personal favorite was photographing Good Charlotte at the House of Blues in Boston. Good Charlotte is that band for me - I remember listening to The Young and The Hopeless so many times that the CD started skipping. The House of Blues is an incredible, iconic venue, so it was just an awesome night. Photographing Warped Tour is another personal favorite. It’s such an iconic tour, the few dates I’ve gotten to shoot are great memories. It was an honor to get that opportunity. Also, most of the concerts I shoot are indoors so getting to work outside in natural lighting with so many great bands is refreshing. What are some important things you learned since you started doing photography, how has that helped you throughout your career, and what advice do you have for those who are aspiring to be a photographer/those who are starting out? My favorite part about this whole is thing is that I can constantly learn. I feel like I gain some new insight every time I shoot, whether that be something I realize or something I learned from someone else. The best thing I’ve learned is just to keep busy, to always pursue opportunities to get better at what I do. Starting is the hardest part - you just have to decide you’re going to do it. Obviously there are days I’m feeling lazy and just want to chill, but even then I can be learning. The best advice is to shoot as frequently as possible. Just get out and do it, with your phone, your camera, or whatever you have access to. It doesn’t matter if you’re shooting a concert, your friend, a landscape, or a mug, they’re all valuable experiences. If you can’t shoot, go on YouTube and find creators like Peter McKinnon that are entertaining and educational, or open up photoshop and challenge yourself to create in a new style. I feel like there’s always something you can be doing to improve, and the people who pursue that to its fullest are often the most successful. You also run a YouTube channel. How are you able to balance that and your photography career? My photo and video work are certainly my priority. I enjoy YouTube, but it’s currently something I’ll work on in free time as a “for fun” project. I am currently finishing my last semester of college and I plan to graduate in May, so balancing college and photo/video work has been difficult for the last three years. My best strategy to manage it all is to block out my time carefully to ensure I’m keeping up with all my commitments and classes. When you’re not working on things related to your photography career, what are some things you like to do in your spare time? I’m a huge soccer fan! It’s my favorite sport - I grew up playing it and wish I still did. I’m up every Saturday morning to stream the games from England. The games are really the only free time I don’t commit to work, it’s kind of like my little weekend getaway from 7am until 1pm on Saturdays. After that, my spare time is dedicated to photo and video work. It rarely feels like work though, I’m fascinated by the process of creating content, and the final product always makes the work worth it. If you could photograph any band or artist that you haven't photographed yet who would you choose and why? There are so many! The first one that comes to mind is The Dali Thundering Concept. They’re a French band and they are so good. I’m hoping they come to the US soon. Better yet, I hope I somehow end up in France photographing them. I’d also love to photograph a rap duo called $UICIDEBOY$. I’m a huge fan of their music and I think their aesthetic would make for a fun shoot. What can people expect from you in the future? More work! I will be doing camera work full time once I graduate in May, so I’m really excited to dive into that. I’m hoping to invest more time in YouTube then, and maybe start a podcast. Until then, I’ll keep busy with concerts and music videos. Thank you for having me! If readers would like to see my work, please go to peterjt.com. You can see my portfolio, or contact me to talk about booking a shoot! FOLLOW PETER ON SOCIAL MEDIA HERE:CHECK OUT HIS WORK HERE!
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