Jeremy Francis - Veteran Jamaican Photographer

HIGHLIGHTS OF JEREMY FRANCIS' LIFE AS A PHOTOGRAPHER

EUROPE’S INFLUENCE
I LEFT JAMAICA A YOUNG, VERY IMPRESSIONABLE TEENAGER AND ATTENDED HIGH SCHOOL IN BRUSSELS, BELGIUM WHERE I STARTED PHOTOGRAPHY.
THE SCHOOL HAD A VERY GOOD ART DEPARTMENT, THERE I LEARNED ALL ASPECTS OF PHOTOGRAPHY, FROM SHOOTING (ON FILM IN THOSE DAYS), TO PROCESSING AND PRINTING IN A DARKROOM. I WAS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE SCHOOL MAGAZINE EDITORIAL COMMITTEE. DURING THAT PERIOD, I BEGAN TO APPRECIATE LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY, MY CHOSEN TOPIC FOR MY PERSONAL WORK.

WHILE TRAVELLING THROUGHOUT EUROPE AS AN IMPRESSIONABLE YOUNGSTER I CAPTURED ALL THE VISUAL STIMULII, SUCH AS THE CULTURES, LANDSCAPES, ARCHITECTURE, WAYS OF LIFE, HISTORIES AND SO ON, FROM COUNTRY TO COUNTRY.  IN ADDITION, SEASONAL CHANGES AND THEIR IMPACT ON NOT ONLY THE PHYSICAL LANDSCAPE BUT ON PEOPLES’ DAILY LIVES APPEALED TO ME.

CAPTURING JAMAICAN LIFE
 WHEN I RETURNED TO JAMAICA IN THE LATE 1970s, I BEGAN TO PHOTOGRAPH MANY ASPECTS OF JAMAICAN LIFE.  ON THIS PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY I FINALLY RESTED ON JAMAICA’S LANDSCAPE. FILM WAS STILL THE ONLY MEDIUM THEN AND I SHOT QUITE A BIT OF BLACK & WHITE, AS WELL AS COLOUR TRANSPARENCY (SLIDE) FILM. I SHOT IN BOTH 35MM AND MEDIUM FORMAT.

TECHNOLOGY AND TRANSITION
 THE EARLY 2000s SAW A FORCED TRANSITION TO DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY IN JAMAICA, WHICH I AND OTHER PHOTOGRAPHERS HAD TO EMBRACE. AT THE TIME, I CHOSE TO STICK WITH MEDIUM FORMAT FOR BOTH MY COMMERCIAL AND PERSONAL WORK.  I RECENTLY UPDATED MY 35MM DIGITAL CAMERA SYSTEM AND RETIRED THE MEDIUM FORMAT SYSTEM. I GUESS TO A GREAT EXTENT, TECHNOLOGY HAS HAD THE GREATEST EVOLUTIONARY IMPACT ON MY WORK.

 THE TRANSITION FROM FILM TO DIGITAL HAS PUT ALL THE TOOLS FROM CAPTURE TO IMAGE MANIPULATION TO ARCHIVAL IMAGE OUTPUT IN THE PHOTOGRAPHER’S HAND, A VERY REWARDING FEELING. I DO ALL PRINTING OF THE IMAGES I SELL, ON ACID-FREE, 100% COTTON RAG, WITH ARCHIVAL INKS.

ART IN COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHY
IN ALL MY COMMERCIAL WORK, WHEREVER AND WHENEVER POSSIBLE, I TRY TO INJECT INTEREST, WHETHER BY LIGHTING OR OTHER PHOTOGRAPHIC TECHNIQUE, OR BY PERSPECTIVE. LIGHTING INVARIABLY AFFORDS ME THE BEST OPTION FOR CREATIVE EXPRESSION.

I ENJOY SHOOTING THE INTERIORS OF HOMES VERY MUCH. UNLIKE THE AVERAGE COMMERCIAL (ADVERTISING) JOB, I USUALLY HAVE THE FREEDOM TO CAPTURE AND/OR CREATE THE “FEEL” OF A ROOM OR SPACE AND LIGHT IT IN SUCH A WAY  THAT THE “FEEL” IS TRANSLATED IN MY PHOTOGRAPH. SOMETIMES I ADD MY OWN LIGHTING TO ENHANCE THE FEELING OF AN EARLY MORNING OR LATE EVENING LIGHT STREAMING IN THAT HELPS TO CREATE THAT “FEEL” FOR A SPACE. OTHERWISE IT’S ABOUT PERSPECTIVE AND THE ARRANGEMENT OF PROPS AND OTHER ENHANCING ITEMS WITHIN THE SHOTS.

ON LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY
I TRY TO MAKE MY LANDSCAPE SHOTS EXCEPTIONAL AS I STRIVE TO REPRESENT WHAT I SEE AND FEEL. I LIKE TO SHOOT LANDSCAPE SUBJECTS WITH MOVING WATER, WHICH GIVES ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO USE PHOTOGRAPHIC TECHNIQUE TO REPRESENT THAT MOTION AND ITS EFFECT ON THE SCENE. THIS REQUIRES A KNOWLEDGE OF PHOTOGRAPHIC TECHNIQUE, AS WELL AS GOOD PHOTOGRAPHIC EQUIPMENT. OTHERWISE, A LANDSCAPE MAY HAVE A CHARACTER THAT APPEALS TO ME AT THE TIME OF DAY. IT COULD ALSO BE A MATTER THAT GRAPHIC ELEMENTS STIMULATE INTEREST IN A LANDSCAPE COMPOSITION.

HAVING RETIRED MY MEDIUM FORMAT SYSTEM, I CARRY MY 35MM SYSTEM WHICH ALLOWS ME TO CAPTURE MORE IMAGES “ON THE FLY”; IN ADDITION TO DOING MORE TIME-CONSUMING SETUPS. THIS HAS ALLOWED ME TO CREATE NEW IMAGES WHICH I WILL SOON MAKE AVAILABLE.

FOR MORE ON JEREMY FRANCIS VISIT: 

http://jeremyfrancisphotography.com/

ALSO VISIT OUR ART GALLERY AT:  https://www.experiencejamaique.com/product_gallery

SEPTEMBER 2020