We recently connected with Jefferson Mathis and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jefferson, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.
As I’ve grown and become more comfortable with myself as a capable photographer, imposter syndrome is something that I’ve always had a problem shaking. It was never even a thought in my head until I booked my first paying job taking photos. I went from “Oh man, I love taking photos. It’s so much fun and stress-free” to “Holy s%@t! I better not screw this up or I’ll never have this opportunity again” almost overnight. But once I finished that job, delivered the photos, and got overwhelmingly positive feedback from them, I started to breathe a little easier and thought to myself that I could actually do it. It really is one of those things that still lingers in the back of my head from time to time and I don’t think I ever will truly be rid of it but as I sharpen my skill set and branch out to new areas of photography, it becomes less and less prevalent in my head and more of an afterthought if anything.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
My name is Jeff Mathis and I’ve been a professional photographer for about 10 years now. I began shooting when I was 16 or 17 and at that time, it was just a way to document me and my friends wakeboarding and skateboarding. I’ve always loved the water and board sports so taking photos of my friends out on the water or at the skatepark just made since. I was lucky enough to grow up on Lake Martin, AL so I was always near the water and the more my friends and I wakeboarded, the more we loved it so most of our time was spent out behind the boat. Back then, wakeboard media was focused a lot into videos and magazines. As we got better at riding and my eye for capturing it developed, my main goal was to start getting photos published so our spot in Alabama could get recognized on a larger scale. I think I had my first photo published when I was 23 or so of my long time friend Alex Graydon. It was such a surreal feeling. As the years went by, Alex was able to turn into a pro wakeboarder and he and I worked on many other projects that found themselves in print and online. These days, most of the magazines are gone and it’s been replaced my online outlets. Luckily for me though, I was able to have ten or so covers published for Alliance Wake and many other photos of other riders published. I’ve been able to branch out to plenty of other types of photography outside of action sports but wakeboarding will always hold a special place in my heart because it put a camera in my hand in the first place.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
There are so many different qualities and skills that can make a good photographer. I think one of the best pieces of advice I could give would be to not let the quality of your equipment drag you down. So what if you don’t have the latest and greatest camera? You can still go out and create and do something new without it. I’ve seen so many photographers that are so hyper-focused on their gear that they don’t even seem to know how to use it efficiently. So at the end of the day, the old adage is true: “It’s not what you have but how you use it.” Another thing that I’ve found in my photography career is don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. In order to get ahead, you’re going to have to put yourself in uncomfortable situations so you can grow. If you’re at an event and you see someone whose style you like, go strike up a conversation and see if they’d be down to shoot sometime. Whether they go for it or not, the experience you get just from that interaction can really help you along the way. And if they’re into it, do you’re best to make them look good and if you come out with some great photos, that’s just more for your portfolio. One final piece of advice I’d give would be to try not to get discouraged. Not everyone is going to like your shooting style and that’s ok but the last thing you need to do is get down on yourself and doubt yourself. Just keep working at it and good things will come.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
Step back, take a breath, and don’t spread yourself so thin. It’s so easy to get overwhelmed and especially if you’re in a fast paced environment, it can happen so quickly. I’ve always tried to stick to a schedule and if I find myself deviating from it, I try to take a moment to collect my thoughts and get back on track or else I’ll just feel like too much is going on. When I first started taking on clients, I would just agree to any number they wanted and any deadline they wanted. I came to find that that was a very easy way to get in over your head because it’s usually unrealistic deadlines for less-than-you’re-worth pay. As I’ve gotten more confident in myself, I’ve been much better with asking what I feel like I’m worth and if the client won’t do it then oh well, missing out on a job every so often because you can’t agree on a budget is not the end of the world.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.jeffshotthat.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeffshotthat/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jefferson-mathis-5658a485/
