Meet Jacob VanOpdorp

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

Hi Jacob, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I’m a Colorado native, born and raised in Littleton. Growing up I wasn’t really into the outdoors, and preferred to stay inside and play with my action figures or watch tv. However, my grandpa is a hunter, so when we went over to his house I would get to see all of his trophies and learn how to respect wildlife and the outdoors through him. I’m pretty sure a combination of my gentle nature and my grandpa’s feelings toward the outdoors and wildlife is what helped me find my niche in photography. It wasn’t until my older brother left for the Navy that I started to find more enjoyment outdoors, and when he returned 4 years later I got to experience a whole other world that I was scared to explore at a younger age. Once my brother returned I got to see more of his adventurous side and I was hooked on exploring the mountains, camping, hiking, and anything to do with the mountains. Once I found my passion for photography I knew exactly what I wanted to capture and slowly found more ways to photograph the outdoors and night sky.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
When it comes to my art I don’t want people to see it and just think, “That’s a pretty picture,” but to also feel connected to it in some way. I believe that’s what all artists want with their work but I’d like to elicit a sense of urgency. I believe that many people don’t understand or respect the wilderness as they should. Almost every time I go out to shoot I find myself picking up loads of trash or seeing people not respecting the area like they should be. It’s small things like these that make me realize how many people do not think about how their actions are affecting the land and wildlife in that area.

I’ve been working on a project called the “Milky Way Over Colorado Project” where I travel around Colorado to famous landmarks, mountains, etc. to capture the Milky Way over them. My goal is to teach others about the effects of light pollution and how it’s not only destructive to our vision of the night sky but also to the countless other species that still rely on the darkness of night. Since starting this project I have been in touch with Dark Sky Colorado and have sat in on a few outreach meetings where we think of ways to educate the public on light pollution.

Getting to this point was not easy. It took a lot of trial and error to find my style, niche, whatever you wanna call it up until this point. And I still don’t think I’m the best photographer I can be. I’m always trying to find new ways to shoot the same locations, edit old photos, and learn new techniques both in the field and in post-processing. However, I have made some new friends along the way who have helped me learn that there is a lot more to this craft than meets the eye, and I look forward to the many more people and friends I will meet along the way.

A lesson that I have learned and am still trying to overcome is to not think about how others will perceive my work. I find myself so focused on what if someone notices a small detail I don’t like or what if this post doesn’t do as well as my others have been. All of those things don’t really matter, and I’m learning to shoot what I like, edit how I like, and that’s all I can do. Art is subjective and I won’t be able to change how someone feels about my work, so why even worry about it.

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?
I’m not much of a city person, so I’d probably end up turning their stay into a bit of a road trip and take them on some of my favorite hikes. Garden of the Gods, Flatirons, and Rocky Mountain National Park are just a few I would like to take them on. We would also have to go to a Mammoth lacrosse game. Not only is lacrosse the only sport I kind of keep up on, but just the energy you find at a Mammoth game is unmatched compared to other Denver sports teams. As for places to eat and drink we would have to go to a small bar called “The Hound”. They have awesome burgers and it’s a great place to grab a drink and play some pool if you’re into that.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to give a shoutout to my family and friends who have supported me on this journey. Without their continued support and interest in my work, I don’t think I would be able to continue pursuing a photography career. My parents have been some of my biggest supporters by helping me with my travels, purchasing my artwork through my website, and brainstorming new ideas when certain things just aren’t working out. The same goes for my older brother. Without him, I don’t think I would have found my love and passion for the mountains, which is where I like to spend a lot of my time taking photographs. My grandma has also been one of my biggest supporters always telling me that I’m going to do great things with photography and that she hopes to see one of my photos on the cover of National Geographic someday. One final shoutout to my girlfriend whom I’ve been with since high school. She has been there from the beginning and has always supported my dream of being a photographer. She also has helped me with brainstorming ideas, and just being there for emotional support when times get rough. Plus she’s an excellent addition to my travels and can capture candid photos of me just doing my thing, which is always fun to look back on.

Website: https://www.vanopdorpphotography.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanopdorp.photography/