McNamara Jason

Extract from The Local Seekers
By Jason Setnyk (Cornwall Underground)

Jason McNamara is a photographer, photo editing whiz, and owner of his own company called Framed Photography. Recently McNamara's work has appeared in magazines such as Inside Fitness, and on a CD cover for the General Electryk. This talented photographer from Cornwall is building an impressive portfolio.

Here are five questions I asked Jason McNamara:
Jason Setnyk: What inspired you to become a photographer?
Jason McNamara: One photo of my son. I was into Photoshop before I was into photography. I had been playing around with peoples Facebook pictures for months leading up to my first DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex). Our 4mp camera broke so I went out and bought the highest megapixel camera I could find. I took one shot of my son at a shallow “depth of field” and joked to my lady that I should be a photographer. Long story short, I locked myself in the basement and studied theory and more advanced editing until I had the balls to do my first shoot. I posted the pictures on Facebook and landed another job and so on.

Jason Setnyk: Describe the creative process when doing a photo shoot.
Jason McNamara: It's always different. Sometimes people have something in their head that they want me to make it happen. Most times, I get, "I just want something different". Honestly, in those cases, I creep their Facebook profile pics. People tend to either put images they like of themselves or things they like there. I get a feel for them, as the person they project, and come up with an idea to pitch. Then, I scramble to make it happen. Finding the location is next. I really like scouting the location prior to shooting but in a lot of cases I don’t have the time. Once I get there, normally a bit early, I set up lights and just walk around getting some loose shots in mind. The rest happens in real time during shooting and in Photoshop.

Jason Setnyk: How important is photo editing to your photography?
Jason McNamara: It's crucial. Both when I started and now, but for different reasons. When I first started, I spent a lot of time fixing mistakes that shouldn’t have happened in the first place. Now, I use it more stylistically. The goal now is to get as close to the final product as I can, straight out of camera. Composition is on my mind while I shoot. I pay closer attention to what is in the background. I am known for a specific style of editing; however, that is not the be all end all of what I will be putting out.

Jason Setnyk: What is your greatest accomplishment as a photographer?
Jason McNamara: It hasn't happened yet. I'm really proud of a lot of things. My first cd cover and my first magazine cover. It's been a great year that is kind of a blur. I guess I get the greatest feeling of accomplishment on every shoot. I love seeing people go through their finished pictures or getting that email once they have had a chance to go through them. I am in love with the process of the shoot itself. The nervous client who gets more and more comfortable with me and themselves until the climax of seeing the finished product.

Jason Setnyk: What are your career goals in-regards to photography?
Jason McNamara: I just want to keep improving and start to specialize a bit more. I feel like a kid just graduating from high school; I have some skills but now I need to take the general knowledge I've acquired and focus on something more specific but I just don't know what that is yet. I will always shoot whatever I want personally but need to start thinking professionally.

What's next for Jason McNamara and Framed Photography?

McNamara is networking with a couple of modeling agencies, working with other creative people in the film realm, and he has already booked a lot of wedding gigs and photo shoots for 2011. According to McNamara, "If the stars align, I am hoping for a big year".
Expect many more great photos by local artist Jason McNamara!
Visit Jason McNamara online! Facebook: http://facebook.com/frameme
Twitter: http://twitter.com/framed1 Website: http://framedphotography.ca