Respect the Shooter Interview with Jonathan Pace @imjonathanpace
How did you get into photography/videography?
I've been loving cinema since I was a newborn 'cause my house has always been filled with VHS. As I grew up I started filming and editing videos with an old compact camera that I used quite a lot until I bought my first camcorder in 2015. Like a lot of 90s kids YouTube gave me the possibility to share my first videos (I was like 13-14 years old) and thanks to that platform I discovered a whole new universe opening myself towards an international dimension. Photography is relatively new to me 'cause I started taking photos and editing them in 2017 after working and saving money to buy my actual camera.
What did you first use to take photos?
As I said before my first "professional" camera was a camcorder by Panasonic (the SD-90) but it just wasn't meant to take photos so I got a Lumix G7 which I use right now for both videos and photos.
Where did you go to school? Do you have any formal training/self taught?
I studied languages in high school (English, French and Spanish) and then I got a degree in Arts, Music and Entertainment. University was all about theory so at a practical level I consider myself a self taught.
Do you have any nicknames? How did you get that name?
Actually no, people call me Jo, Johnny (without the "h" cause I live in Italy and learning english here sometimes seems tough) or just Jonathan even though I find it so formal. My girlfriend calls me Boo but that's another story.
If you could take photos of any 3 people who would it be?
Marisa Tomei; Hugh Grant; Lars von Trier.
If you could take photos of any 3 people that are no longer living who would they be?
Luis Buñuel; Edvard Munch; Man Ray.
If you could take photos in any 3 cities what would they be?
Moscow; London; Dublin.
What is your goal when you capture photos of someone?
To mash-up my idea of them and their idea of them, it's a job for two.
What music do you listen to when you edit photos?
My go-to album to listen when I'm concentrating is "Heritage" by Opeth, but I usually listen to italian-french trap music while editing. It depends on the mood of the shooting in my opinion.
What's your favorite app on your phone?
The ones that I use most are Instagram, WhatsApp, Spotify and Netflix. I think I'll go with Instagram.
What is your dream as a photographer?
Make it my main job, meet interesting people and improve my skills.
What is some advice you would give to someone with a dream to be a photographer/videographer?
Do it. It may look banal but tons of talented people never start taking photos or shooting videos because of their fear of what other people may think. Learning that quite often other people don't really think at all is a must in this case.
Where can people find you? (social media, website, etc.)
People can find me on instagram @imjonathanpace and on my website www.jonathanpace.art