Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Cowell.
Jason, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
While growing up on the island of Jamaica, I was introduced at an early age to cameras. My parents had an old Kodak film camera and I thought it was the coolest thing on the planet. In my teen years, I got a Kodak Disc camera and that just added fuel to the fire. I would take pictures of my friends and family and display the prints in an album and come to think of it, I still have the album to this very day! Fast-forward to 2010 and my wife buys me one of the best birthday gifts ever… my first Nikon DSLR! I loved that camera so much and I took pictures of everything and anything I could. While I loved taking pictures for fun, I felt a need to learn more about the camera and the techniques used to create great images. I took an online photography course which taught me the basics and from there, I never looked back.
Two years later, I was introduced to a photographer who held photography sessions in his studio and also in the field. By this time, I had upgraded my Nikon D60 to a Nikon D300 so I was now working with a more professional camera. These sessions not only exposed me to model photography, but they also took my knowledge to a whole new level. There were different levels of expertise at these sessions, from the newbie like myself to the seasoned professional. Working with my new mentor, André Rowe, catapulted me forward and I soaked up every bit of knowledge I could. I supplemented this knowledge by watching countless hours of Youtube tutorials and reading photography blogs every chance I got. Working alongside André was a life-changing experience for me and I was truly blessed to have him in my life. Sadly, André passed away back in 2014 but his mentor-ship still influences who I am as a photographer today.
Great, 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?
It certainly hasn’t been smooth especially when you’re trying to find a niche in an over saturated market. Another challenge was trying to balance honing my craft, maintaining a regular job and fulfilling my responsibilities as a husband and father of three boys. Family was and still is tremendously important to me so I always tried to balance them all. Sometimes I’d fail and my family time suffered. I’ve had to reassess just how much time I’m willing to invest in photography and how much time I need to invest in the family, home, etc. I’m in a much better place now so finding that balance was critical.
Please tell us about Roaming Photo Studio.
First and foremost, I love people… so, needless to say, I thrive on creating images of people. Whether it’s a family portrait or a model fashion shoot, these are the areas I love most. Right now, I work closely with a local designer, shooting products for their web site. I occasionally shoot family portraits, concerts, and corporate events. When I’m not doing these, I’m shooting models. I love the creative aspect of photography and in recent years, I’ve embarked on a journey of creating magical images with the use of Photoshop.
What sets me apart from others is my approach to the personal aspect of photography. I strive to meet and exceed client expectations and I try to make each and every experience a positive and memorable one. At the end of the day, if my clients are not satisfied, I take it personally so that drives me to deliver the best experience from the shoot session right through to delivery of the images.
Roaming Photo Studio is flexible when it comes to meeting the needs of our clients so our motto is, “We bring the studio to you!”
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love Miami to pieces. There’s diversity not only in the people who call Miami home but also in the locations. Miami is full of culture… it’s a wonderful melting pot of ideas, beliefs, and talent. Miami is always full of life and if you’re not able to get caught up in its magic, then you must not have a pulse!
There really isn’t much that I don’t like about Miami, but I will say, from a photographer’s standpoint, it’s getting harder to shoot in certain places. I’ve seen an increase in the need to get photography permits and as a photographer, that really limits my locations. It seems to always come down to revenue.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.roamingphotostudio.com/
- Phone: (954) 232-4380
- Email: jcowell@roamingphotostudio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roaming_photo_studio/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoamingPhotoStudio/
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