Meet the ultra talented men behind the lens  for the AimerAmour UV Brand Photo Shoot!

JEFF MINDELL

AimerAmour: When did you start doing photography?

Jeff Mindell: I really started taking photography seriously when I was studying in London last fall. I carried around this Canon point-and-shoot that I’ve had since high school. Before last year, I had only used it to make up my countless Facebook albums like everybody else, but it was when I was traveling through western Europe that I really began to experiment with lighting, angles, and the composition of my photos. I was basically trying to push the limits of my little PowerShot.

AA: What’s your inspiration when you take photos?

JM: Natural light is huge for me. You won’t find me more depressed than on a rainy day. When I’m looking to frame a shot, I really love to work in the natural light and then the person or object in the photo comes secondary. I also like to pull ideas or inspiration from photographers whose work I can’t get enough of like Andrew Moore, Terry Richardson, and Yu Tsai.

AA: What separates your pictures and style from other photographers?

JM: My favorite photographs are the ones with people in them. Whether I’m shooting strangers in a hotel lobby or my girlfriend, it’s those photos that really come to life for me. I think you can tell a lot from a person’s body language and I try my best to capture a feeling in each and every photo I take. I really love to experiment with points of view and oftentimes I’ve even cropped out a head or two, but I think it often makes for a stronger image.

AA: What are your other hobbies? What’s next for you career wise?

JM: Can eating be a hobby? I go out to dinner way more than a college student should, but I love trying new restaurants and experiencing new foods. I also love to work out.  I’m at the gym about six days a week. Other than that, I really enjoy engaging in social media (I’m addicted to Twitter) and I will take a night in on the couch with a good movie or basketball game over going out any day.

After I’m done with school in May I’ll be moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in branding or advertising and ideally, I’d love to tie in social media into whatever I end up doing. I held a job out in L.A. this past summer and fell in love with the place. For whatever reason, I’ve lived in D.C. for the past four years and I still don’t know my way around, but I can navigate L.A. with a blindfold on. I could see photography becoming a hobby of mine where I would freelance on the side and end up selling my prints at art shows or galleries. The future is completely open and it feels great.

AA: How was your AimerAmour photography experience? What do you think about the UV Brand Photos?

JM: Cold! You can’t tell from the photos but it was about 40 degrees that day and we were all on the roof of the building for a few hours. But in all honesty, it was such a fun experience. All the models were very receptive to my direction and had a lot of patience so I was grateful for them. After I had finished editing the photos and then narrowing them down to the ones that were chosen for the magazine, I was really able to sit back and admire the shots. In all honestly, I think the photos look so great because of the location and the models in the clothes. All I had to do was show up and capture the moment, but the pictures speak for themselves.

AA: Advice for aspiring photographers?

JM: This is such a weird question for me to answer because I’m still an “aspiring photographer”. If I had one piece of advice, it would be to use the Internet to your advantage.  It’s the easiest and cheapest platform for you to showcase your work. Once you have a solid portfolio, promote the hell out of it. Remember that you are the brand and you never know who might see your work so stay professional and having business cards are always a plus.

AA: Where are you from? What are you studying in school?

JM: I was born and raised in northern New Jersey. My town was about a 20 minute drive to Manhattan so it was a great place to grow up. It wasn’t until I was living in the UK and my sister went off to college that my parents left NJ and moved to South Florida, where my home is now. It’s completely different and I get back to NJ as often as possible, but I really do love the lifestyle in South Florida.

I’m currently finishing up my degree in Public Communication and Marketing from American University where I divide my time between the School of Communication and the Kogod School of Business.

AA: Website/Contact Info if people want to see more of your work.

JM: You can find my work on www.jeffmindellphotography.com, follow me on Twitter at @JeffMindell, or feel free to shoot me an email at mindellj@gmail.com!

 

AimerAmour’s In-House Photographer since Day 1, EMMITT MCGEE III is destined for greatness!

AimerAmour: How did you get into photography?

Emmitt McGee: When I was young, I used my dad’s camera. I grew up playing sports and every time I would travel with my basketball team I would take the camera with me. I put it down during high school but in college I got another camera. I started up again and learned from trial and error. I don’t have any formal training, just practicing and reading different things. After a while I started booking jobs.

AA: What’s your inspiration to take photos?

EM: Photography for me is being able to show people how I see the world. I’m displaying my perspective on film. I want to show you what I see.

AA: What are some of your hobbies and what’s next for you?

EM: Music production, engineering, writing and listening to lots of music. Career wise, I’m here to create and inspire. I just want to inspire people to be more creative and to create everyday. I don’t think there’s a title for what I’ll be doing, but I know I’m going to have a shit load of money, creating and inspiring.AA:How has your AimerAmour experience been thus far and what do you think about the UV Brand shoot?

EM: The AimerAmour experience has been great. I’ve seen the magazine grow from the ground up to where it is now and it’s not even close to its full potential. I’m glad to be apart of the team and along for the ride.

The UV Brand photo shoot was pretty dope. We really improvised with what we had available as far as the locations. We had two different photographers with two different perspectives; everyone was cool and we all got along well.AA: Advice for aspiring photographers?

EM: You have to do it because you love it. You have to shoot everyday or as much as you can. Don’t follow what’s in a text book, once you learn the basics, its your job to bring your own creative niche to your camera.

Also, keep going-because you’re going to have to deal with a lot of bullshit. People aren’t going to want to pay you, you’ll have lots of wack photos shoots; you’re family is going to tell you that you’re crazy because it’s not a real job but keep going if you believe in it

.AA: Where are you from and where did you go to school?

EM: Compton, California. I studied Communications at Howard University with an emphasis on radio and audio production.

AA: Contact information?

EM: Twitter: @eMcGeee