A Fine Art Photographer’s Vision – who is Jason Witherspoon?

It was 1993 when I first owned a 35mm film camera.

If someone had told me then that one day I would sit at the desk in my home office, in the middle of the night, staring at a nearly blank sheet of paper with the headline written, “Who am I as a fine art photographer?” I wouldn’t have believed it. But almost 20 years later, there I was, asking myself what defined me as a photographer; who is Jason Witherspoon? The journey to answering that question was long – filled with trial and error, harsh criticisms, sleepless nights and moments of doubt. Through determination, I am able to define who I am as Dallas fine art photographer – to define my vision.

Personal and photographic visions became intertwined

I still hold on to that piece of paper, now covered front and back, documenting my travels to discover the artist that I am. It serves as a roadmap illustrating how my personal and photographic visions became intertwined. There came a point where my photographs became an act of expression.

The images stopped being an eclectic study of values and perspective viewpoints, and became a focused series of scenes. I no longer hoped that my photos would turn out ‘good’ – I set out to make photographs that reflected how I view the world around me. I would capture an image in a hundred different ways, sometimes returning to subjects again and again. It could take weeks or even months to get the shot just right. I did all this with a goal of sharing images that are personal expressions of my vision.

Images that leave a visceral impression upon the viewer

Motifs of solitude, close intimate landscapes, depictions of isolation – these elements are often the focus of my work, but are also part of what defines me as a person; I find solace in moments of isolation. Architecture and landscape are particularly inviting subjects because they allows a certain level of creative freedom that is bound only by my imagination and how much time I spend with a subject.

Fine art photography is my lifelong pursuit, my greatest passion, and my career. It is an imperative facet in my life that has shaped the way in which I view the world. My mission is to create images that leave a visceral impression upon the viewer – a sort of tangible intangible – like it is in that moment when I take the decisive shot that will rise above the slush pile of discarded works. The greatest art elicits a response in the viewer that they did not anticipate. It’s what keeps a person coming back to their favorite images – a welcomed assault of the senses that leaves the viewer wanting more.