We chat with insanely talented young photographer Jamie Waters about his inspirations, creativity and managing work flow.
Before the age of 25 the London born and half Scottish creative has already worked with likes of Kojey Radical, Brent Faiyaz, Poppy Ajudha and many more of the new age scenes most exciting musicians...
He's one of the hardest working creatives we know, constantly setting the standards for contemporary music & fashion photography. Sometimes this mindset can take it's toll, as Jamie mentioned how "I’ve definitely crept into the burn out zone lately, it’s super important to me that I pursue my own projects on top of freelancing but sometimes it gets too much working a 70+ hour week".
Despite this, Jamie Waters' work rate has definitely not dropped off, and 2020/21 has seen him release a new catalogue of breathtaking work.
The manifesto of his creative company JAW describes how:
"Every project is an opportunity to develop and communicate with like-minded creatives. We don't want to be told what we can or can't do and we're not driven by money, we just want to keep on making the work that gets us excited whilst developing a genuine connection with our audience, we hope that you connect with this emotion".
What artists and styles are your main source of
inspiration ?
I think it’s dangerous to source inspiration from a select group of individuals if you want to develop your own voice, I tend to explore areas that are distanced from my discipline (to an extent). I’m often looking at paintings, architecture and fine art to explore concepts I haven’t considered before. At the same time I do refer to a lot of films to stimulate new thought and collect visual references, I think Stanley Kubrick was the first director to open my eyes to visual storytelling! I think we’re always taking in information and absorbing visuals, so the ideas keep developing based on the material we consume on a daily basis. I should add that I need music pretty much every waking minute of my life... I think this is why I enjoy working with musicians so much, I love to interpret sound into visuals in my head.
What is your process when it comes to creativity and
work flow?
Collaboration for me is the key to unlocking a continuous stream of new ideas, being trapped inside your own head can suffocate creativity sometimes. I also know from experience that self initiated projects are vital to maintain creativity, exercise the mind and discover new areas to redirect into your paid work! That’s the best way to discover your voice and continue to develop as an artist and become more rounded in your skillset.
How do you view the role of art in culture now in 2021?
Whilst the landscape has changed this year, I think art always has a place to both propel thought and convey meaning, particularly during times of chaos and disruption. We rely heavily on art to communicate and connect and with most of our interactions being online this year, art within online communities is really thriving and actually enabling action.
Tell us a bit about your story... where were you born?
I studied architecture at university despite spending most of my time pursuing a career as a freelance creative. My work is very multidisciplinary, I’m super passionate about film photography but In general i’m excited by a lot of creative disciplines. I studied pattern cutting at LCF whilst at Architecture school, coded various websites at the same time to pay for film, designed my own jewellery and garments for my clothing label (which has been the longest secret work in progress mission...) and worked so many shitty jobs to pay for all my projects! I’m finally operating as a freelancer full-time and working for myself.
If Jamie Waters' immense photography portfolio wasn't enough for you, here are two short films he's made this year, groundbreaking in their own right.
The first entitled Butterfly UFO was made after the young prodigy "spent time reflecting on the planet and hoping we take better care of it post quarantine."
This next short music video entitled Vinch Kill Bill will leave you with the highest level of inspiration and apprecition for Jamie Waters' craft.
Speaking on the project he described how "Anyone that knows me knows how many cameras I own... but you don’t need equipment to project your voice, they’re simply tools to express your vision, and what better tools than your own hands. I want this piece to demonstrate that. We made this over FaceTime in just three days with no budget."
You can discover all of Jamie Waters' incredible work at the links below ~
- PSYCHIC GARDEN