About Justin
I like to let the personality of each subject shine artistically and make every person that stands in front of my lens feel beautiful. More importantly, I want each person to feel completely free to express their true self and to capture the very moment when this happens. Let's get creative and have fun doing so!
My Story
Like I mentioned, I’m a Wedding & Editorial Photographe, but with a fashion inspired flair to my images. I love 'STRANGE' poses and over the top looks. I also love shooting candid images and lifestyle. My love and fascination with photography spans way beyond my 7 years of professional work. Through the years I've spent countless hours attending workshops and self-training through trial and error to find my style. It’s ever evolving and I love every bit of it.
Like most young children growing up, I loved to play with toys. For me “Toys: (Toi-Z) – Noun, anything your parents say not to touch and not designed for children.” :-) My definition of toys has since evolved. In the early 90’s I loaded my cameras with Film/ Polaroid or just shot with an empty camera. Yes, I even took pictures for fun even when there was no film loaded. That stuff is expensive you know! Tell the truth, you've done it too. Those were the options the average consumer had available to them back then. I'm all about looking for interesting perspectives and angles, so call me a shutterbug!
I discovered my deep love for photography on a family vacation to Las Vegas. This was the first trip that my intention was to come home with creative images, not just snapshots. This city was perfect for artistic expression. There were so many sights and characters to be seen. Aside from the fact that this was a great vacation, one thing was frustrating me. It was my point and shoot camera. Without going too deep in to details I'll just say that my tool was holding me back. It was at this point that I made a conscious decision to invest in a tool; notice how I keep saying tool, that would allow me the freedom to express myself and depict a scene as I desire others to see it, as I see it. It was because of this vacation that I decided to make the leap and invest in a DSLR.
Manually choosing my focus points, shutter speeds, camera light sensitivity, flashes, triggers, lens choices. Lions and Tigers and Bears, OH MY!! Creatively choosing to blur a background in order to pull focus to my subjects was just what I've been looking for. The lens options!!! Oh, the lens options!!! Yes, I am officially in tech paradise. Through my years of learning the capabilities and functions of my camera, I developed an unquenchable desire to take more and more pictures. 9,000+ photos my first year to be exact. I know, kinda low. DSLR’s have allowed me to bridge the gap I had been missing in the form of art. I can't draw or paint, but I don't just take a snapshot anymore, I create images. I express moods, I speak a message, I convey a thought through the medium of photography. I document memories. I paint with light. The more I've learned about lighting and shadows, the more expressive I've become as an artist.
Wow, did I really just write all that?? Did you really just read all of that??? OKAY well enough about me, let’s talk about you and what a session would be like for you. If you’ve made it this far, we absolutely NEED to meet, because you must be an amazingly sweet person to have read all of that and I really like nice people!
A session with me is all about you and expressing the side of you that makes you happy. Whether you choose to share these moments with your family, your significant other or you just want a “love all that I am” session, I’m here to guide you through each photo and make sure that you leave feeling more beautiful than you did before we started. I love capturing candid moments, but I'm not afraid to guide you into a beautiful glamour’s pose. I can be a photo journalistic fly on the wall, working my way around the room documenting intimate moments between you and you loved ones. I can sit with you and guide you through a series of flow poses checking for posing details like chin, shoulders, hands etc. My goal is to have every client who sits in front of my lens receive an image of themselves that makes them feel great, and eager for their next session.
Experience a session with JVaughn Photography LLC and together we will create images you will cherish forever.
-Justin Vaughn