Featured Photographer - Jason Vinson

I’m half of a husband and wife wedding photography team - Vinson Images.
I have my degree in Mechanical Engineering, but after almost 10 years, I decided that the cubical life just wasn’t for me.
I love any type of documentary photography and creative portraits.

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HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN PHOTOGRAPHY?

My wife and I got a DSLR to use on our honeymoon. After we got back, some friends loved our images so they asked us to take their family pictures. We thought it sounded fun, so we did the shoot literally handing the camera back and forth as we each had an idea. Eventually, someone asked us to shoot a wedding and we reluctantly said yes. After packing up our gear, we knew we wanted to do more. It continued to be a side hustle for about 8 years until I got the opportunity to go to India and shoot for 2 weeks but didn't have enough vacation days. I asked for time off without pay and was told no, so I put in my two weeks notice two weeks before my flight and haven't looked back.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE?

We consider ourselves documentary photographers with a splash of art. We are completely hands off and simply capture moments as they happen. But when it comes to portraits, we are a bit more hands on and try to make them unique and creative.

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN AN IMAGE?

Simplicity and visual interest. I love a clean frame without a ton of distractions. From there, I want the image to have something that draws the eye. Sometimes that can simply be interesting light or color. Other times it can be from foreground elements or reflections.

WHAT INSPIRES OR MOTIVATES YOU?

I try and draw inspiration from my surroundings. I’m always on the hunt for clean compositions and interesting light. I don’t like to location scout because I want to be inspired in the moment by what is currently available. That said, I do draw inspiration from movies, commercial photography, and other amazing wedding photographers.

WHAT CHALLENGES YOU?

One of my favorite things to do is actually give myself challenges. I don’t necessarily do this on wedding days, but I’ll do it on personal shoots or engagement shoots. For example, on one shoot I’ll only let myself use one lens, or maybe I’ll use off camera flash for every image. Then on another shoot I won’t let myself us any flash at all and I’ll schedule the shoot for hard noon light. These little challenges make me change the way my brain thinks about certain situations. This is also why my gear so minimal. I like the challenge of making what I have work for any situation.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOMENT OF A WEDDING?

I love the small hidden moments of a wedding day. The ones that you would completely miss unless you’re looking for them. Like when a father sees his daughter for the first time in her dress. He keeps himself well composed for the entire experience, but when he gives her a hug, he lets loose for a fraction of a second. Or the way a strand of hair blows in the wind or the way a couple adjusts their rings after putting them on for the first time.

OF ALL YOUR IMAGES, DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE ONE?

I don’t think I could pick a favorite image, but one of my favorite experiences shooting would be documenting the Holi festival in India. It was the only time I have had the opportunity to shoot for myself for more than a day.

ANYTHING ELSE WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT JASON VINSON?

In addition to my amazing wife, we have a 14 month old son named Zayden. We are biased, but he is the best kid ever. I also love beer, bacon, and meeting new people.

TELL US ABOUT DVLOP

I have always had an internal struggle with my editing. I felt it was good enough, but was never really fully happy with it. There always seemed to be something I was missing. Once I tried DVLOP, that all changed. There is just a magical way they can make all my colors pop and sparkle while still giving me amazing skin tones. My favorite packs are from Two Mann Studios, Davina + Daniel, and Sam Hurd. I also really like using Jose Villa on my cell phone images.