Meet Jason Sinn | Commercial and Editorial Photographer

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

Hi Jason, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
As unlikely as it may sound, I actually began my photographic journey back in 2010 when I was in the U.S. Coast Guard working at the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. My usual everyday job was doing search and rescue, but when I flew into Louisiana they needed more people called “Field Observers” so they slapped a camera in my hands and had me travel up and down the coast taking pictures of damage and oil sheens.

Prior to that assignment I actually didn’t have much of an artistic drive, but in-between my missions I would mess around with the camera and take pictures for fun. That suddenly awoke an artistic obsession within me that I couldn’t ignore and I immediately enrolled in some college photography courses when I returned home. Now 11 years later, I graduated from photo school and have now been working as a professional photographer for almost 7 years. Within that time I’ve been fortunate enough to shoot for a wide variety of clients, including Tama Drums, Nuclear Blast Records, and Second Harvest National Food Banks, and I’ve also had the pleasure of working for publications like Decibel Magazine, The Financial Times, and Denver’s 5280 Magazine.

Photography gave me a career that I never could have dreamed of. My existence is full of life and unexpected adventures at every turn. It’s made me curious and I’ve been able to see how different industries work, and as of now, I could never even imagine going back. Every time I look through the lens the world gets bigger, more colorful, and a little bit brighter, and I love being able to share that experience with others.

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 my work apart from others is that I’m constantly trying to bring the grandness out of who and what I shoot. Everyone, even someone who doesn’t think they have it, has something unique and awe inspiring inside of them. I like to take the time to truly get to know the subject I’m working with and bring that out – their true essence – and then when it’s time to share that with the world I want to do it in the most elevated and emotional way possible. To me, photography is all about the narrative coupled with the “wow” factor. A person’s spirit is art within itself and it has to be respected and presented in a way that touches the viewer in an instant. When you create a photo you are permanently recording someone’s legacy and you only have one chance to make it memorable.

I got to where I am today thanks in large part to keeping that artistic integrity in tact and not surrendering it to trends. They’re shallow to me, and more than ever it feels like everyone is trying to pull you in one direction or the other. But as an artist, staying true to yourself and your vision is what really does endure. I get hired a lot because I have something original to provide after people get tired of seeing the same things over and over. I also get hired because I don’t hold too tightly to one photographic niche and enjoy shooting a ton of different content. Every shoot, whether it’s product, food, or people, offers new creative possibilities and has something inspiring to be shared.

I also have to give a tremendous amount of credit to my education for getting me this far. Going to photo school before starting my own business gave me the guidance I needed to master my craft, but also because my professors were working photographers I was taught how to actually turn my passion into a paycheck. That’s something I see a lot of new photographers really struggle with today – That business element in particular – So I feel very lucky to have been exposed to that so early. Now years later, that battle with the business side still carries on because things change so quickly. To succeed I have tried to be more adaptable and be willing admit when I am wrong.

It might sound cliché, but one of the most important lessons I’ve learned along the way is that you really are the master of your own destiny. No matter how few opportunities you think you might have, you actually can make new ones every day. Forget the big stuff because those things will continuously come and go, but it’s the small stuff and how you wire yourself mentally that keeps you in the game. If you need to get more web presence then that’s an opportunity. If you need to shoot new content then that’s another opportunity. I think you get the idea. Just don’t make the mistake of sitting on your hands and letting your moment pass you by, because you really do have the power to get up and accomplish something. That kind of self motivation is addicting and people really do notice.

It’s always been tough to pick something I’m most proud of because so many productions have been enriching in different ways, but one of my most personally triumphant moments was when my photo “The Clay Man” was commissioned by Profoto for their national EDU poster campaign. In the photography community Profoto is a very popular gear company and the posters they made with my image were placed in every photography school studio in the country. That was a wonderful moment because my work was being shown to new generations of photographers who were pursuing a difficult life in art just like me and I feel a lot of happiness knowing that I could inspire them in even a small way.

I’m also proud that I’ve gotten to meet a lot of musicians and performers through my work, not so much for their “profile” status, but because I really appreciate talking art with them and connecting with them as human beings. Abe Cunningham from the Deftones, Baba Zumbi from Zion I, and The Reminders are a few in particular that I have admired and been deeply inspired by and just being able to meet them in person, to have a beer with them and be creative together was a blessing.

Working on my project “Unbroken: Indigenous Peoples Today” has also been a beautiful experience. Through it I photograph and interview Native American people and ask them to teach me about their cultures, and thanks to them I have learned quite a bit about living harmoniously and being more community focused. That project holds a special place in my heart and I hope it helps people learn a lot about perspective. I also hope it gets more people to join the fight for Native rights.

Overall, I don’t think I’ll ever care about people remembering my name or earning some kind of long-lasting recognition. Whenever someone sends a nice message my way I don’t even really know how to react if they are talking about me directly, but I am very thankful that my work has touched them in some way. When I create, it’s more about the journey, living in the moment, and appreciating the people in front of me rather than reflecting on myself, and in a way, I want to keep it like that because I feel like it makes my artwork stronger. All I want is for someone to see my photography, to be inspired by it, and to be happy. I hope it brightens their mood and makes them appreciate and value the beautiful world and people around us, and if they decide to hire me in order to bring those elements to a project then I am deeply grateful. As a creative messenger, I want to keep my legacy simple because it leaves more room for fun! Life is too short and the universe is too infinite to think much bigger than 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?
Colorado is such a gorgeous place. It always gives me a connection with nature, so for anyone visiting I’d first have to take them outside. A sunrise hike at Garden of the Gods is one of my personal favorites, and I feel like anywhere in the Rockies like Summit Lake, Vail, and all the waterfalls are a win. I’m also a big sucker for the fall aspen colors that we’re famous for. Every human being should come here and experience that at least once in their life.

As for the city, I really like Union Station and the Museum of Nature and Science. They wowed me the first time I saw them and I could spend hours just looking at the architecture and exhibits. I’m also a huge fan for Asian food and after living in Seattle I thought I would never find better but I was dead wrong. Den Ma sushi in Centennial and Asuka Poke in DTC have some of the most delicious Japanese food I’ve ever eaten. Also the BBQ and beer is superb. Shout out to Post Oak BBQ on Tennyson and Cerebral Brewing on Monroe!

Other than that, I think everyone would enjoy just grabbing a cup of coffee, taking a walk and meeting people here. Coloradans are really sunny, happy people and some of my best memories are just from running into strangers.

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?
Oh man, there are so many amazing people that I am grateful for who have helped me along this journey. The first people who ever believed in me were my grandparents. I always remember how I was unhappy pursuing a traditional career path in college and they encouraged me to do what I wanted instead of what was expected. Also, without going into too much detail, my family life while growing up had a lot of abusive elements but my grandparents were always always fighting for me and their love saved me from choosing a more destructive life.

After that the next people that always come to mind are my college professors from photo school, namely Paul Estabrook and Gordon Lazzarone. They were genuine, kind, compassionate, and extremely supportive of their students and I’m very thankful I had them around. Honestly if it wasn’t for their friendship I might not be in this career and even now they still check in to see how I’m doing.

I’ve also got to give a big shoutout to my cultural mentors, Stephanie Big-Eagle and David Ocelotl who helped me start my journalism project “Unbroken: Indigenous Peoples Today.” Back then I was so unsure of how to approach the subject matter and they were incredibly patient and taught me everything they could about their cultures. They also helped me look at the world differently with a more patient, aware and positive mindset.

And finally, I want to thank my best friend and fiancée Michelle who has always been my emotional anchor and never ending source of joy. No matter how tough things get she’s always the caring comedian who keeps me laughing.

There are hundreds of other incredible, inspiring people that I want to thank. It would take a long time to name them all, but to anyone who has worked on projects with me, hired me, and just taken a chance with me – I love you all.

Website: https://www.jasonsinnphotography.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason_sinn_photography/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonsinnphotography/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jasonsinnphotography/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/jason-sinn-photography-highlands-ranch

Other: https://g.page/r/Ccr9J7YO9wYyEBA

Image Credits
Tory Scroggins James Brashear Steve ‘Zumbi’ Gaines from Zion I Natalie Manning Christopher Brian Nachtrab Stephanie Big-Eagle