Meet Justin Ayers | Photographer & Art Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Justin Ayers and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Justin, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?

Yes, its from Georgia O’Keeffe. The quote goes, “I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say in any other way – things I had no words for.”

For me, this quote speaks to exactly why I became a photographer. Growing up there were many moments where I felt that I couldn’t properly express myself. Whether I didn’t have the words to or I didn’t feel comfortable doing so.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

As a photographer & art director I describe my work as a blend of historical fashion & artistic movements with contemporary trends to create highly stylized imagery. Essentially, my process begins by looking at historical artistic movements and moments in fashion/pop culture. Then I look towards what people are currently interested in as a collective. Through a highly stylized lens I attempt to blend both the historical and contemporary together to achieve a beautiful photograph.

I’ve been very fortunate to have a strong support system of family and friends who encourage me to always push myself. That being said, every artist faces challenges and for me it was very difficult to get my foot in the door when I first entered the industry. I felt that my style wasn’t commercial enough or editorial enough and that no one wanted to work with me. Instead of allowing myself to fall into a pit of self-doubt, I decided that my work is good enough and I had to keep pushing on with a healthy level of delusion. This allowed me to feel comfortable sharing my work on social media, reaching out to studios, agencies, and brands, until eventually things started to pick up. I’ve talked to many friends and collaborators about this, and we all agree that in an industry as competitive as entertainment and fashion you have to possess a level of delusion to have the confidence to put yourself out there and tell someone why they should work with you.

Along the way I’ve seen how far kindness will take you. On set, my goal is to make sure every single person is comfortable and having a good time. We are all fortunate enough to be working in the creative industry where work doesn’t have to be serious all the time, so I do my best to keep that energy on set.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

For activities, gotta hit a hike along the coast in Malibu, STAY away from Runyon!! I’m always seeing what new exhibits are available at The Broad and the other museums in DTLA.

If we’re going out for dinner and we want something fun and casual I’m taking them to Jinya Ramen Bar in Santa Monica. The Spicy Chicken Ramen is everything! Another night we’d definitely drive up the coast to Cholada Thai in Malibu.

Then of course you have to grab brunch before they leave town so I’m taking them to bottomless at La Boheme in West Hollywood or for something a bit nicer we’d head to The Ivy.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are too many people to ever include who have uplifted, supported, and mentored me along the way. I can’t name just one but there are three individuals who really guided me through my earlier years – Alicia Santisevan, Mike Aponte, and Sky Bergman. Throughout college and beyond these three have all contributed to my growth and succsess as an artist. Alicia and Mike taught me all of the lighting design tools I needed, from how to properly light a subject to being able to look at an image and know exactly how it was lit. Sky helped guide me through college and hone in on my artistic style. All of them have been huge supporters and I truly wouldn’t be where I am without them.

Website: https://www.jayersphoto.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justinnayers/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinayerss/

Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jayersphoto