Jayson Robertson wears dual hats. Based in Sydney, he works in both photography and videography. We recently spoke to him about his work.
How did you get started in photography?
I was using my boss's camera at the gym I work at to capture content for the studio. It naturally just evolved into me wanting to get better at photography/videography and ended up buying my first camera during the first lockdown.
What was the first camera you ever owned?
The first camera I bought was the Sony A7iii. I’ve since upgraded to the A7iv which i’m loving, and i still use the A7iii here and there. If I was to pick one lens to shoot with it would definitely be a 24-70mm just because of its versatility for everyday shooting!
"I have the Kiboko 22L and it is by far the best bag i've ever used. It has so many little compartments that fit everything I need when traveling or even for commercial shoots! The raincoat that comes with the bag especially came in handy when I had to ride a motorbike in the pouring rain from one side of Bali to the other and no water got inside the bag at all!"
What are some of your favorite places to photograph and why?
So far anywhere in South East Asia for me has been fun for street photography just because life is so different to where I’m from!
Who are some photographers that have inspired you and/or continue to?
The lads I shoot with on a constant basis are always inspiring me as well as my partner who is a great photographer, and I think the fact we all have different styles amplifies the inspiration when shooting with them. You can check them out on instagram @spicy.raw @mosashoots and @caleb.coroneos
What or where inspires you next?
It’s usually whenever my partner books our next trip, that I start researching the place we are heading to and gets me excited to find new spots to shoot at!
What do you look for when creating a photograph? Do you go in any order like "light, subject, composition, action" or is it a different process?
The first thing for me is always composition and trying to make the image as perfect as possible in terms of balancing the camera and having things line up. I also love finding symmetrical spots.
How would you define your style of photography?
I shoot such a wide variety of content because I just love being creative behind a camera. I love creative photography but I’ve been traveling so much that I have to shoot nature and street as well! I don’t mind any style as long as im stoked with what I’ve created. I also love creating cinematic videos!
How does photography play into your daily life? Do you have any specific practices on taking breaks or compartmentalizing?
I use a camera daily, whether it's creating for myself or for work. Burnout definitely is a thing especially after long travels. So it’s not a bad idea to take a break from shooting and get stuck into editing the backlog of content that has piled up from the travels!
How far do you go to capture a truly unique moment? and what is the craziest thing you've done to capture a photograph?
It depends on the situation definitely! I’d say one of the craziest shoots I’ve experienced so far capturing a photo/video would be when @caleb.coroneos set his hands on fire
Where can we find more of your work?
@jaysonrobertson on all platforms!
