Today we’d like to introduce you to Aaron Jackson.
Hi Aaron, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
As a kid, I always had a camera in my hand. I don’t remember ever making anything, I just liked to capture life. During my junior year of high school, I asked my family for a DSLR for the holidays. At that point in time, cameras weren’t as mainstream as they are today and $400 wasn’t something my family was able to swing on a hobby. I ended up saving money any way I could and bought the camera a year later. I dabbled in a lot of art growing up so it was no surprise that photography became my new outlet. I was lucky to have friends and family that encouraged and pushed me to get better. My Friday nights usually consisted of me and my friends in Jacksonville, Florida, exploring the abandoned parts of downtown looking for a new spot to capture.
A few years later, I ended up in Orlando studying film at the University of Central Florida. It wasn’t an easy transition to say the least. Learning to collaborate with others on my vision didn’t come naturally. Ultimately, it pushed me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to become a better filmmaker. It also allowed me to take a step back and focus on what was most important to me, the art of cinematography.
It hasn’t been easy. There have been moments where I thought of abandoning a career as a cinematographer. I’ve worked as a set lighting technician, focus puller, even dabbled in producing. At the end of it all, my heart always drew me back to the camera. It sort of feels like I don’t have a choice. I belong to the camera.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There’s a great quote by Theodore Roosevelt, “Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, [or] difficulty…” This is the attitude that has led me to where I am today and continues to help me navigate through this journey of life. Every day there are new challenges to face and lessons to learn. I could list a dozen hurdles I’ve had to jump over to get to where I am today. I think the important thing is to keep running. If you have something worth fighting for don’t give up on it. You never know how close you are to achieving your goals until you reach them.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As a Cinematographer, it’s my goal to help tell stories the best way possible. Growing up my family and I moved around a lot and when I was younger, I didn’t quite understand what impact that would have on my life. Looking back, I can say it helped me develop an objective perspective of the world. Being able to see life from others’ point of view has been a huge factor in my cinematography career. It isn’t always about making a beautiful image, it’s about telling the story the way it was meant to be told.
I’m most proud of who I am. It sounds simple but it’s not something I’ve easily been able to say. Being Black and Jewish, I grew up in two completely different worlds, which made it difficult to fit into either or. This allowed me to be open-minded to life but never too influenced by my surroundings. I like to think this has a large impact on my work.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Don’t be afraid to showcase yourself to the world. No one will ever know how great you are if you don’t show them. That applies to personal self and also your professional work. A majority of the time networking takes years to mature. I’ve done free projects that paid off 2-3 years later. Everyone’s journey is going to look different but if you work hard and look out for others, I believe that energy will return back to you.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: aaronjosephjackson.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aa.ronjax/
