Today we’d like to introduce you to Jonti Wild.
Hi Jonti, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started taking photos when I was 6yo. I’ve always been intrigued by the fact I could freeze one single moment in time! I grew up in a small country town in Australia where I got up to all kinds of shenanigans. It was a small town… not much going on so I had to get creative. I was heavily influenced by Tumblr growing up and this inspired my work heavily! I started capturing photos of the surf and skate lifestyle and all the beautiful landscapes in my area! I left high school in year ten at the age of 13 to pursue photography at a college. I failed as I never handed in my assignments, I was great at the practical side of photography but not the theoretical side. Once I failed I was a little disheartened, I then became an upholsterer, I did this for nine years and had my own business for seven! I enjoyed it but lost passion in what I was doing… during this time I still did photography on the side. You know… as a hobby! I began to get into modeling, I was dealing with a lot of self-worth issues and needed something to pick my confidence up!
I began taking self-portraits which seemed to get the attention of people as they wanted me to take their photos once they had seen my own portraits, I ended up slowly turning my photography studio into a photography studio and made it my main source of income! I collaborated with so many models and musicians to really hone in on my style and the things I love about photography! I ended up taking photos of this musician, at the time he was known as Boxboy! we worked on his album artwork together and he loved everything I did, so he flew me out to a coastal town in Australia called Byron Bay! From here, we worked on art for a month straight, coming up with crazy unique concepts for his next album. After this month passed by I headed back home and within two weeks, boxboy called me asking if id like to travel the world with him as his personal photographer and he’d pay for my flights and accommodation!! I jumped on this opportunity and packed up my show and began traveling the world, I’ve had so many amazing experiences and have met so many beautiful people along the way! I even found myself a girlfriend, Kenz Lawren, we met a London fashion week… secretly we had a crush on each other but I was too shy to say anything and so was she, we kinda just left things professional.
Months passed by, I had visited so many countries but found myself moving to LA… Kenz seen on my Instagram story that I was here and we planned a photoshoot… then one after another we kept creating art until finally, we both had the courage to confess our love to one another! I could go on a whole story about this because it’s rather interesting and the odds were against us but yeah… I touched down in LA and collaborated with more people… as many as I could physically do! I started being more present on social media and showing the behind-the-scenes of my photoshoots which gained a lot of traction from big brands, musicians, artists and models! I began touring with my favourite band Bring Me The Horizon and doing big campaigns for brands I use on a daily basis – now I’m permanently living in LA making art and the most out of this so-called life 🙂
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?
Noooo, I went through so much to get where I am today! I’ve been broke multiple times… disheartened / let down by the industry, being so low this I’ve questioned my career choice and questioned if I should do something else… questioning my art. heartbreak and long sleepless nights! lots of hard work and wondering if t was ever going to pay off.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a professional fashion and portrait photographer specializing in high-end and creative art! I do lots of tour and campaign work! I’m most proud of myself for getting out of my comfort zone, changing a toxic friend group to better my life and escaping the small country town I grew up in and now living happily in Hollywood, all from doing what I truly love.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
reach out to as many people as possible that you resonate with, DM them or send them an email! Let them know why you love what they do and see if you can work on something together! Just be genuine and uniquely you.
Contact Info:
- Website:Â https://jontiwild.com/
- Instagram:Â https://www.instagram.com/jontiwild/
- Facebook:Â https://www.facebook.com/imjonti/
- Youtube:Â https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXWh8-_I5R8qCMNMADpCOzw
- Other:Â https://www.pinterest.com.au/JONTIWILD/Â
