Meet Jeremy Townsend | Photographer

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

Hi Jeremy, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
When I first started taking pictures, I never imagined I’d be starting my own business and offering not only photography but video as well. Walking into photography with a video background made for a simple learning curve. During this time, it was all about shooting myself and fellow skaters for publicity. Before too long I started receiving offers and requests for photography services. In the beginning, I looked at starting my business as a great way to write off new gear and make a little side money but shortly after becoming established I was doing weddings, headshots, real estate and even working with the likes of Gametime, Turo, Compass, Sinclair Broadcasting Group, Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty, RideplayTV, JiveKitty, The Color Run, the Green Tortoise San Francisco, and The Mike Tice Foundation.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As mentioned in an earlier paragraph I’ve been fortunate to work with many companies and personalities. I have also been involved in many different facets of photography. Typically, photographers specialize in a specific area and typically do not steer away from what they’re good at. I’ve always taken on the challenge of new types of photography and never been scared to experiment with different approaches. As a pro skater, I was also behind the scenes for many shoots learning angles, lighting, and other techniques useful in product and action photography. Pair all of that with a little schooling and years of self-training, the rest becomes history! The journey initially started around the year 2000. I wouldn’t say the process was easy or hard because at the time my intentions were never to start a business, the business kind just evolved. If the focus had been about making it a business the love would have quickly diminished, and I would have probably walked away a long time ago. If you’re reading this, especially those on the hunt for a photographer, work with me and I deliver more than just great photos, you receive an Experience!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love hanging out in the Pacific Beach area of SD. There are so many great places to eat, drink, and play. I really like to play golf so I’m sure that would be included in my itinerary. Maybe around at Torrey Pines followed by food and drinks over at the Firehouse American Eatery & Lounge. If we’re lucky Dj Scooter might be playing a set later that night. The next day we’d probably get our feet dirty at the beach. Maybe walk the boardwalk and people watch, which never disappoints. There’s really so much to do it’s hard to really narrow down an itinerary, plus I am more of a let’s see where this adventure takes us!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My shoutout is dedicated to San Diego’s Wesley Dwaine at RideplayTV. A few years back Wesley and I were attending the Blading Cup in Santa Ana, The Blading Cup is a rollerblading contest put on by Jon Julio. While I was there competing, Wes had asked me to join him for the 2nd Annual Hollywood African Prestigious Awards, “HAPA”, hosted by Vivica A. Fox and Michael Blackson. I couldn’t say no! This experience had me covering the red carpet prior to the event and what a great experience. Since then, Wes and I have covered multiple Consumer Electronics Shows in Las Vegas and even started our own show, “Golftics”, which airs in the back seat of Uber/Lyft via the RideplayTV network. Without Wes, none of those experiences would have come to be.

Website: www.jeremytownsend.com

Instagram: @jte_photog

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2Yxm8qh6UocE1bgK5NIWyg

Image Credits
Jonathan Labez – Headshot Image