Today we’d like to introduce you to Jace Banks.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, how did you get started?
I’ve always had a thing for cameras. Photos fascinated me as a kid, and I always made short videos about random stuff in the backyard. Through school, I didn’t think much about making a career in photography. That is until my sophomore year in high school. I was introduced to a vocational school called the Medina County Career Center. At first, I thought, “No, I’ll just finish high school and figure it out then.” I felt that I just wanted to be expected. But I soon realized that I wasn’t normal, in a good way. So, I changed my mind and signed up for the career center. I knew that eventually, I wanted to be my boss in my career, and when I was choosing my skill class, I came across video production. Now, along with making short videos in my younger years, I wanted to be a YouTuber! When I saw video production, I figured I would also learn video editing, so I chose it!
My second year at the career center was when I rediscovered my love and passion for photography. Then 2020 hit. My class left for spring break and never returned to school because of COVID. I had an assignment every Sunday for my video production class. We had to take a photo using the teacher’s parameters. One week, it had to involve the color red; the next had to involve showing sound, etc. I remember having so much fun with those assignments because I was doing what I loved at home.
So one day, I remember sitting at my desk and thinking, “ok, I’m going to sit down and make a business. I’ll call it JBPhotograph.” Little did I know how hard it was to do that, being an 18-year-old. Fast forward to 2021, I was working at KFC. I also met a guy named Tommy through a mutual friend. Tommy was blowing up on TikTok while making transition videos. So I messaged him and asked if I could come and check out his work in person. A few days later, I went to his house and helped him with a commercial project he was shooting. And that was when the career doors opened.
He got a studio space after a few months of working with Tommy. At that point, if I weren’t working, I would be at the studio helping with shoots. A couple of months after that, I remember being on vacation with my family and getting a call from Tommy. He asked me to send him a photo of myself for the studio’s website. That day, I was hired by Tommy after a lot of hard work and a few months. I was the first employee of Cheddar Studios.
With being a part of Cheddar Studios, I’ve got to work with some fantastic brands and amazing people! Brands like “Unrefined,” “Grubhub,” “Doordash,” “Dunkin’ Donuts,” “EA Sports,” “Hollyland,” “Dollar Shave Club,” and so much more! That leads us to today. I am a freelance photographer and videographer Cleveland and Akron. I still love photography profoundly and am so passionate about it. I love working with brands and the like-minded people who have created those brands. All the while, I am growing my business, JBPhoto.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been a mildly bumpy road. I’ve struggled with burning out from working too long on projects to pay my bills; things do not go as planned on a shoot. But I’ve learned not to get hung up on the things that go wrong and try to adapt, overcome, and move along.
Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a freelance photographer and videographer. I specialize in wedding photography, product photography and videography, product and videography, portrait photography, and lifestyle photography. I’m most proud of the work that I produce, mainly because I know that I made it or had a hand in making it, and that’s proving to me that I can do anything in this industry if I put my mind to it. I build relationships with the people I work with, always prioritize my vision, and focus on making the final product exactly how my client would like it to be.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
It’s not what you know; it’s who you know. Making friends in your industry is the best way to get out there. In my case, when one of those friends needs a photographer, they won’t be searching high and low for one. All the advice that I can give is honestly just be yourself and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Because if you don’t ask, you’ll never know what opportunities you could have done. What’s worked well for me is going to networking events and meeting a ton of people who are like-minded and as creative as you!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jacebanksphoto.wixsite.com/jbphoto
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jb.photo._/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JBPhotosss/
- Other: https://jacebanksphoto.wixsite.com/jbphotoproducts
