Meet M.J | Photographer, Videographer, & Graphic Design artist

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

Hi M.J, what’s the most important lesson your business/career has taught you?
The most important lesson that my career has taught me is that its okay to “fail”. I put fail in quotations marks because i’d rather consider my failures as lessons. It’s always been difficult for me to take risks because I was terrified at what the outcome might be if I didn’t succeed; I quickly fell behind my other peers when it came to my career because I wasn’t taking risks due to my fear, I wasn’t submitting my portfolio for review, going to networking events, or trying new techniques because I was so busy playing the what if game in my head. As soon as I begun to let go of the fear of failure and embrace it as lessons my career began to move into the direction that I always wanted it to. I was able to apply for bigger jobs, try new things, and create photos that I was proud of. It doesn’t matter what career field you’re in, you have to be okay with falling on your head sometimes, how else would we learn and grow?

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have been a photographer for 6 years now, taking it seriously for the last 3 years. I specialize in musician and brand photography. I would say my style is clean, sharp, bold, and vibrant. My brand and work is based on accurately and vividly capturing the natural essence, aura, and energy of the person or brand i’m creating for. It’s extremely important to me to create visuals that speak for itself and that people can resonate with. It’s been a long and winding road when it comes to my creative career. I’ve had moments when I wanted to sell my camera, try to be content with a normal 9-5, or haven’t been inspired to create for months. However I always find myself coming back to my love for photography and my passion for capturing a moment in time. I have been extremely lucky to have a phenomenal support group and people that have cheered me on from the start; without them I’m not sure where I would be right now.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Kansas City is full of incredible things to do. The river market is a must, fresh produce, local farmers, art vendors, amazing local restaurants, and beautiful smells that you will never forget. Visiting the Nelson Atkins Art Museum is essential; I love this museum because it has a mix of so many genres of art and has floors of masterpieces from around the world. One of my favorite restaurants is Wah Gwan, a jamaican-nigerian hole in the wall a couple streets away from me and the food is out of this world; I go at least once a week. We definitely would have to hit up a Kansas City first friday in the crossroads district so we can experience amazing food trucks, art galleries, and vendors!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would love to give a big shoutout to my family; my origin family and chosen family. The people that I have around me have helped me grow so much as an artist and human and I will forever be grateful for them.

Website: www.morgandianejones.com

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

Image Credits
Niah Rose