Photographer Spotlight – Jason Dewey
Tell me about you!
I grew up in and around Aspen, Colorado, and still live in a very small town nearby with my wife, daughter and son. I travel 2-3 weeks a month for work when it’s busy, and love coming home to the mountains where we spend our free time skiing, camping, and hiking. I earned my experience in “real world” big production photography as an assistant for two famous rock-and-roll photographers in Tokyo and L.A., and then moved on to shooting lifestyle content for Getty Images when rights-managed stock was king, until I found my place capturing the built environment.
Fun Facts: Flown on the Concorde, been run over by a truck.
How did you discover your love for photography?
Travel.
Who are some of your favorite photographers (past or present)?
Chris Rainier, Hideo Canno, Marco Tagliarino, James Newton, Suraj Garg, Eugeni Pons.
What draws you to Architectural Photography? And specifically what got you into photographing hotels?
I love the challenge in trying to figure out how to light a complex space, like putting together the pieces of a puzzle. I started specializing in architecture by photographing luxury homes, which helped build a portfolio of images that often looked more like luxury hotels.
Can you describe a photographically challenging situation that you were confronted with that you were able to resolve on the fly?
We’re constantly challenged in photographing interior and exterior spaces full of people that we have no control over – when the client requires that the space be completely empty. Shooting “for the edit” and compositing is something that we’re always figuring out as we go, making sure all the “plates” will work together to create the final image.
You use a Phase One system for your photography. What about this system made you choose them above all else?
Literally everything – I drank the Koolaid back in the early 2000’s with the P30 and have been upgrading (almost) every time a new back comes out, and have never looked back. The dynamic range, reliable tethering, seamless file handling with Capture One, built-in Profoto syncing, and of course resolution are some of the reasons I love Phase One.
We at CI strongly believe in use of technical cameras for your genre of work. Can you tell us why you use one?
I use a tech camera for the most common use, often needing a small amount of rise/fall in many shots; however, where a tech camera really works best for me is stitching. I photograph a lot of large-scale public spaces, and often do a simple horizontal 2-stitch in order to get more of the left and right sides of a space while using a longer focal length (like the Rodenstock 32mm or 40mm) for less distortion than I would get from a wider lens on the XF.
What is your favorite underrated photographic tool? Why?
A black tablecloth! We step into the frame and hold it up to block all kinds of reflections on furniture, TV’s, art, and so on. Hold on… I better say that the most underrated tool in the arsenal is my assistant, or I’m in serious trouble. This is definitely a team sport.
If you were behind your camera and could choose anything you wanted to be in your viewfinder, where would you be and what would you be looking at?
I’d love to get back to shooting more underwater. I’ve never had the opportunity to shoot macro with the XF in a housing…
Why did you select Capture Integration as your equipment partner?
Customer service, reliable communication, honesty, and integrity. I know this sounds like a bad plumbing commercial, but it’s true! I actually switched from another Phase One distributor about ten years ago, and have been a very happy customer ever since. I know I can count on CI expertise whenever I have a technical question (or when the camera hits the concrete, and I need rush repairs and replacement gear). The CI team have all helped me through plenty of those after-hours calls.
