Short profile
A graduate of the Academy of Art University San Francisco, Jared Jurcak has a great deal of expertise in both traditional photography and vector illustration. This allows him a unique interpretation of still life photography, portraiture, and graphic design. Today, Jared is not only a successful street photographer, but also works as an art director at the multidisciplinary creative agency Five Creative Group in Clovis, California.
In the interview he tells us more about his understanding of photography and reveals what inspires him in his work.
3 QUESTIONS TO JARED JURCAK
Can you tell us a little bit about how you became a photographer? Please share something about your images (what is your special interest, how do you choose the colors, composition, themes etc.) Where does this interest come from?
In high school, I started with photography, with traditional black and white printmaking, and my interest evolved with technology through/ into digital. Later with Photoshop, I discovered a world of retouching and manipulation. I’ve always been drawn to shooting inanimate objects, whether it be still life or architecture. Over the years, I’ve done/ experimented with all kinds of photography, but at the moment, my work is all architectural with a focus on signage; I shoot both day and night scenes because I love the balance it offers with more variety in subject matter. The daytime work tends to be older storefronts, signage, or interesting facades. I have a soft spot for neon or motels for night scenes. The look I am going for, overall, is clean and still, cinematic, and I retouch all my work to remove distractions like power lines, trash/litter, odd reflections, to accomplish it.
How do you get inspired? And what inspires you the most? Films, books or magazines? Or what surrounds you?
I’m inspired by a lot of things — I love exploring and finding spots in my town, or when I travel or plan a trip. Also, the communities of photography and cinematography on Instagram are extremely mind blowing and I often find inspiration there.
What are your plans for the rest of the day?
More coffee. Edit something. Eat. Workout. Repeat.
