Today we’d like to introduce you to Jaime Monzon.
Jaime, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was originally hired by the SA Current as their web designer/editor back in 2010. I was in quite a few local bands at that time and focused all my free time on that. I wasn’t really that big into photography at the time, but I did love taking photos on my iPhone alot. The opportunity first came up when one of our regular photographers was unable to cover that years ACL. I believe this was in 2014. They asked if anyone else would be interested in covering it and I volunteered. I didnt have a camera, so I went out and got myself a Sony Nex-3. I remember I shot Black Keys and I was so excited to be up close to the bands. It was exhilarating getting to get shots of the band up closer than I had ever been. The photos were awful though. I didnt know what I was doing and shot most of it in auto settings. After I came back from that festival, I told myself I was going to learn how to shoot good photos and set out to learn everything I could about photography. I read and watched everything I could about how to properly expose and get better photos. I was lucky enough to also have some great friends that were photographers and they really helped me along as well. I used that Sony for the next 2 years or so. I eventually upgraded to a Nikon 5100. I chose Nikon because my sister had one and she would let me borrow her lenses. I would eventually start to get more photo assignments from SA Current and has led me to become their main staff photographer. I shoot most of the shows and events featured on the website. This has also let me to venture out to other freelance opportunities as well shooting many bands Live Photos as well as promo photos for regional musicians.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has not been the smoothest road. I have spent many late nights figuring out how to learn to edit photos the way I want them to look. Photography is an expensive hobby and I’ve pushed all my gear to the max which would eventually lead me to purchase additional equipment needed to get what I want to see in my photos. Nobody knew who I was when I started and that was also part of the issue. I had to really work to prove myself and show that I knew what I was doing and could get the photos they were looking for. Theres been p[enty of late nights learning and experimenting till I was able to achieve the results I am getting now. and I’m still learning something new at every shoot.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialize mainly in concert and event photography. I am know more for my concert photos. It really gives me a sense of pride when I see the artist sharing my photos or commenting on them. They have been shared all over the place from online fan groups to other magazines. 2 proud moments that I always remember was shooting my favorite band, At the Drive In. I edited the photos as soon as I got home and found an amazing photo that I shared that same night and not even 10 mins later, the lead singer had already shared it on their social media. Another was when I shot a promo photo for the band FEA that was featured in Rolling Stone magazine on a story about them.
I feel one thing that has set me apart from others is that I am a musician myself. Knowing how I perform on stage has given me a good sense of timing of how other artist may react at certain times with the music and I can anticipate their actions and try to catch them in that moment.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
One of my good friends, Ismael Rodriguez really helped me out when I was starting out. He was shooting alot of event photography at the time. We used to venture out at nights with different groups and go on ph0to walks which really helped me in getting low light photography down. But the main thing is he helped me so much in getting the technical aspects of photography down. He wasn’t always nice about it either, which made me try even harder. LOL.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.throwyourhandsintheair.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/iamjaimemonzon
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamJaimeMonzon/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamjaimemonzon
