Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Hammond.
Justin, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
The funny thing is, I really had no intentions on becoming a photographer. Photography fell onto my lap in 2009 when I was doing more of freelance graphic design and pursuing a passion of making movies and music videos on the side. A photographer friend wanted a behind the scenes music video with a model, which turned into multiple videos until I ended up hanging out around photoshoots a lot and getting involved in retouching since I had a background in Photoshop. I am the type of person that’s like a sponge and wants to learn how things are done, so I paid attention to lighting, and directing models, and eventually I decided to pick up a camera for myself because I developed a passion for it. Growing up I always had posters from Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues and never once did I think I’d be the guy behind the camera taking those photos to the point where Sports Illustrated themselves are looking at my work now.
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 definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. I’ve had lots of ups and downs, and have lived paycheck to paycheck plenty of times. I’ve gained a lot of huge accomplishments and big clients and jobs, all while in the middle also just having really slow periods and fighting urges to give up. But I think no matter how successful we get, being a freelance artist will continuously be a struggle. We run our own businesses, so we are our own marketing, our customer service, our research and development. I am always trying to improve my art, my skills, and how I run my business. You definitely need thick skin in this industry as well. There’s a lot of talent, it’s a saturated market, so you have to push yourself to keep going. Trust your talent and stay positive and take everything one day at a time.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Justin Hammond Photography – what should we know?
I am a photographer that specializes in model development and commercial photoshoots in the fashion and swimsuit industry. I am most known for shooting the New England Patriots Cheerleaders swimsuit calendar and team poster annually for 5 years. I am one of the few around here that has been published or featured in Sports Illustrated, Maxim, and Esquire among others. I am most proud of the fact that I am self-taught and have stuck with this competitive industry for almost a decade and still excited for what’s next. I would say what separates myself from others is my retouching skills, my direction with new models and talent, my visual skills that cross over into video production, and just being innovative.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
The qualities and characteristics that are most important to my success is believing in teamwork and being creative as possible. I work with an amazing makeup artist, Sarah Elizabeth Artistry, who also doubles as my creative assistant and helps with styling and direction on set. Having others around you and being open minded to other people’s ideas helps translate to the talent or client whatever you are trying to pull off for any particular set of photos or video and also makes your day a lot more enjoyable and feeling more accomplished. Too many people in this industry are close minded. I love artists and having a connection with everyone on set makes for some amazing stuff.
Pricing:
- Model Development Shoot – Hair & Makeup Included – 5 looks / half day – $450
Contact Info:
- Address: Straylight Picture Studio
1 Sutton Ave
Oxford, MA - Website: www.justinhammondphoto.com
- Email: justinhammondphoto@gmail.com
- Instagram: @justinhammondphoto
- Facebook: justinhammondphoto
- Twitter: @justinhphotog
Image Credit:
Justin Hammond Photography
Makeup, Hair & Styling by Sarah Elizabeth Artistry
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