A Day in the Life of a Jacksonville Street Photographer
All photos by Eddie Castro | @eddiercastro_
With pretty much the entire world in the palm of our hands, the amount of stunning photography from all walks of life we see on a daily basis is seemingly endless. But do you ever wonder how those images were taken? Or the story behind the subject of an image that really moved you? Thanks to our friends at MPB, we got a chance to look at a day in the life of one of our favorite artists and street photographers Malcolm Jackson to learn not only about the how’s and why’s behind the power of a photograph but also the process and passion that goes into the medium.
Whalebone: The most exhilarating/memorable experience you’ve had at work.
Malcolm Jackson: The most memorable experience that I had was getting the opportunity to photograph Nile Rodgers. I grew up listening to so much of his work and continued to learn more about him as I’ve gotten older. I was photographing him during an interview and the stories that he was telling were mind-blowing and so powerful. In those moments I just kept saying to myself how thankful I was to even be in this position and watch how things in your life come full circle when you do follow your dreams and work at them.
WB: Do you know before you look whether you got “the shot”?
MJ: It’s always interesting when you find out you have “the shot.” Sometimes you see it before you even take it, other times you see it as soon as you hit the shutter. You can feel it in your soul when you have captured it. My favorite is when you’re going through your selects and “that” photograph hits you like a ton of bricks, but in a good way.
WB: What does a typical shoot day look like for you?
MJ: When I’m on assignment, I’m usually just doing some studying of the subject or situation that I will be in. I do all of my main prep the day before so I’m not running around too much and can just chill out.
WB: Pre-shoot ritual? Anything you do for yourself or your subjects to get everyone in the right state of mind?
MJ: I guess I never thought about it as a ritual, but I naturally find myself playing some early 2000’s rap before going on set. No clue why, but I’m not complaining. I just try to spark a natural convo and find something in common to make the subject more comfortable.
WB: One thing you always look forward to when going on a shoot.
MJ: I look forward to telling my subject’s story from an honest and correct perspective to make sure they are represented and heard. That’s all I can ever ask for. I’m thankful and humbled for the position that I’m in and I don’t take that for granted at all. It’s truly an honor.
To take a look at Malcolm’s work, visit his website and Instagram.