After a long and successful career in entertainment and media marketing, in New York, Washington DC and London, working for the likes of MTV and LiveNation, Jon decided to “reinvent” himself a few years ago, and pursue a life-long passion for photography. And in just a few short years, he has become recognized as an award-winning, internationally published portrait photographer, developing his signature style by shooting fashion and editorial photography in New York City. 

 

Dividing his time between NYC and Charlotte, he has photographed models, actors, recording artists, fashion designers, business executives and entrepreneurs. 

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Moevir Magazine March Issue 2020 featured edition

[Red Hot Rebellion]

https://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/1759222

Photographer: Jon Thrasher @jon.thrasher  jonthrasher.com  Base: NYC & Charlotte USA

Model: Lexi Helms  @redhot_rebellion_

Hair & Makeup: Courtney for The Makeup Team of North Carolina  @themakeupteam.us

[INTERVIEW]

Tell us something about you. Maybe your life, profession, habit, dream. 

My three-decade long career in the entertainment and media industries, and world travels related to that career, serve as inspiration for my current work in photography.

What makes you choose this profession?

Photography always appealed been my love, mostly as a creative expression, but also as a way of preserving memories of my travels and adventures. 

Could you share how do you expand your vision of art, fashion?

I take much of my inspiration from fashionable everyday people, and not so much from celebrities or so-called fashion icons.

In your daily routine, what resources you like to learn new things about art, fashion?

I voraciously read fashion magazines and follow fashion bloggers (like Alexa Chung) and those serve as my primary resources related to fashion and art.

Is art, fashion important in your life? Why? 

I have always had a passion for fashion and art, mostly because of how it provides me with artistic expression in my daily life. But, I’ve always loved and followed fashion in general.

If you have a superpower or talent, which one do you wish to have? Why? 

My “superpower” is a near-photographic memory, which allows me retain moments and scenes that inspire me and then later apply those to my photo shoots.

Do you have any problem on the way of your profession? How did you solve it? 

I was very fortunate to achieve success in the business world prior to launching my photography career, which has allowed me to be very selective about the people and brands with whom I have worked.

Who are the people impact most in your profession? What do you learn from them? 

Photographers like Annie Lebovitz, Helmut Newton and Mario Testino have inspired my editorial style and approach, although I fall well below them in my abilities and experience. But, I am always striving to learn and improve.

How do you think about your work? Is it what you like, or simply saying a dream? 

I love shooting fashion editorial, on-location, but I am currently working to develop more work in my studio.

In modern society, lots of people want to be famous, influential. How do you think about it? 

My background in the entertainment industry taught me quite early that seeking fame purely for the sake of fame, is the surest way to sabotage any real creativity one may have.

To become famous, what kind of qualities do you think the person should have? 

I believe that true fame is achieve only by creating things that people enjoy hearing, seeing or experiencing. Anything less than that is just notoriety, or worse, infamy.

What will be the suggestions to new photographers? 

My advice to new photographers is to shoot, every day until you like what you see. Keep shooting until others like what THEY see. And never stop shooting, learning and growing.

What is your favorite camera? 

I  believe that one’s ability to create beautiful photos is mostly unrelated to the type or brand of camera they use but is related to one’s eye for composition and light.

How do you prepare your new shoot? 

I prepare for every new shoots by creating a written work-flow and then visualizing exactly how I will shoot each scene and in what order I will shoot them.

Where your inspiration comes from? 

Most of my inspiration comes from simply seeing fashionable people, living their everyday lives in public.

What are the most difficulties during your shoots? 

Finding the perfect light is always my greatest challenge on shoots, with a goal of either finding beautiful natural light or creating light that appears natural.

How often you create new works? 

I create new work every week, either for clients or through test shoots. I love creating!

What is the most important thing for creating new work? 

I challenge myself on every shoot to create something better than every shoot before that one.

Do you have that feeling? When you have a look at the work you created 1 or 2 years ago, you still think it is in fashion.  

I really enjoy looking back on images from previous shoots, and often re-edit images from years past. Although I admits that my work has evolved a lot, I still finds some of my earlier work very inspiring.

Will you still create new works when you are old? 

I am relatively old now, especially in an industry like photography that’s filled with so many very talented young people! Nonetheless, I plan to continue creating new work as long as I can hold a camera, and probably beyond that, as long as I have a good tripod to hold the camera for me!