Meet Jason Pendleton of Denver

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Pendleton.

Hi Jason, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I got started with photography in 2012, living in Laramie, Wyoming. I bought a camera and didn’t know how to use it. I tried to learn online by watching YouTube videos, but for some reason online learning wasn’t clicking for me. So I decided to enroll at the Art Institute of Colorado. Two months into the program, I realized that I was terrible at photography and thought to myself that I would finish out the quarter learning the basics, and then drop out in order to save some money. The day I decided to quit, I randomly met the bassist of Mumford and Sons, who then invited me to photograph their show in Laramie. After the show, I saw him at the bar and then showed him the photos. He then told me that I should stick with photography because the photos were “quite good”. Because of that chance encounter, I stayed in school for a little while until I eventually dropped out, in order to save money.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road. My struggles are usually self induced because I suffer from imposter syndrome and self doubt. Being an artist and constantly comparing yourself to other photographers that are successful tends to do that to you. For a while I was gaining a lot of momentum with my photography and then in 2018, I started suffering from a really bad bout of depression. And now I feel like I’m constantly trying regain that momentum.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialize in concerts and portraits. But I’m most proud of concert photography. I constantly listen to music and create playlists for every facet of my life, so being able to see and photograph these artists in person is a bonus to me. Another thing that I’m proud of is the fact that I’ve been able to travel because of my work. I currently work for two different music festivals in Chicago and Milwaukee, and I’ve traveled to Europe, Mexico, and all over the U.S. to photograph weddings, comic book conventions, etc.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Network like crazy. Go to events, meet people, send emails, hand out lots of business cards. And follow up with potential clients. You’re going to get a lot of “no’s” but that one “yes” can lead to a lot of work. Also stay on top of your social media game. That might be my biggest weakness. If I could do it all over again, I would have been more consistent with my posting on social media.

Contact Info:

• Website: jasonpendleton.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jsonpendleton/