Meet Jamie Kaufman | Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jamie Kaufman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jamie, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
When it came to my starting my photography business, I wanted to showcase the beauty and the raw energy in people and events. About 90-95% of my photography content pertains to concerts, while the other 5-10% pertains to portraits. My goal for both instances is to bring out that energy I see in front of me, and really hone in on the positive and wanted aspects.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I think what sets me a part from others is the energy I bring and my how I really meld my craft with those I work with to create beautiful imagery: I am an open and proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, and use my work to really push the boundaries.

I think I’m most proud of being able to do the amount of metaphoric juggling that I do. While I run my photography business, I also go to school full time studying Psychology, and am also a part time barista. It’s a lot of juggling behind the scenes, but I think that constant drive and determination helps keep me motivated.

My journey in photography has been a long one. I started off by literally bringing my Dad’s Canon Rebel T5 into a concert I was attending back in 2016 at a small venue in Anaheim, CA called Chain Reaction. Since that show, I’ve learned a lot through the help of others about editing, settings, and other helpful tips. Eventually, I worked my way through the scenes, and eventually found my current publication, The Camera Affect, where I am now the co-editor. My journey has not been easy in the slightest, but I was very lucky to have the help of many others in the scene to help me get here.

Oh boy, there is a plethora of lessons I’ve learned. First one, when shooting photography, if you plan to edit those photos, shoot in RAW format. It is an uncompressed file type that allows for room to edit. Another thing I’ve learned is to be humble. After many years working with bands and artists, it can be easy for some to grow an ego. Be humble, befriend your fellow photographers, and don’t put people down to make yourself feel better.

I think I want the world to know is that I want to make a difference in many ways. I think that’s why I wear so many hats in a sense. Through my photography, I want people to genuinely get a raw stylized feeling of the shows I photograph, or the portrait sessions I do. My style is quite high contrast, and I hope it catches your eye. As for knowing more about me, coming up as an gay man, I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the downright ugly. I’ve been able to gain momentum despite my setbacks in life, and am constantly looking to persevere and go further. I want to be able to help other LGBTQ+ individuals, and to help educate allies as much as possible, and have a creative project in the works for that!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
For me, some of my favorite spots vary completely from one another. For starters, I’d love to bring a friend to a concert or show of some sort. Some of my favorite venues are The Glass House in Pomona, CA, The Belasco in Los Angeles, CA, The Ventura Majestic Theater in Ventura, CA, Chain Reaction in Anaheim, CA, and many more to add. Obviously we’d need to get food as well, and that would depend on my mood. I’m a sucker for Italian food or Pizza, so somewhere like Lamppost Pizza in Oak Park, CA or a place like Presto Pasta would be perfection. Outside of shows, an amusement park trip is a must. I have a membership to Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, CA, so that would be fun.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d love to give my first shoutout to my Dad for being my biggest supporter and truly being there through thick and thin for me. I’d also like to thank my team over at the publication I co-run with the owner Cristine Trimarco called “The Camera Affect”. And a big big shoutout to all of the bands, artists, and models I’ve worked with over the past almost 6 years of my career. I love doing what I do, and I owe it to these individuals to keep pushing onward.

Website: Jamiekaufmanphoto.com

Instagram: @Jamiekaufmanphoto

Twitter: JamieKPhoto

Facebook: @JamieKaufmanPhoto

Image Credits
Photo # 1: Tatiana Shmayluk of Jinjer Photo #2: Connie Sgarbossa of SeeYouSpaceCowboy Photo #3: Bobby Crow of Signs of the Swarm Photo #4: Dustin Davidson of August Burns Red Photo #5: Lina Scissorhands of Infected Rain All photos were taken by Jamie Kaufman