Meet Mickey Jackson: Photographer

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

Hi Mickey, why did you pursue a creative career?
I feel like I chose a creative career because I needed to hold on tight to my identity. Jobs always seem to take away from that. I never felt like any decent paying job would be concerned with their employees individuality. I also really love to make stuff. That’s who I am. The life of an artist is hard but I keep choosing it no matter how difficult it gets. That tells me that I’m not out here trying to be a creative. I’m not really here to prove anything to anyone. I just want to have the freedom to work on projects that feed that urge. We won’t all make a living off of art but it really comes down to, for me at least, the passion. It feeds my soul and I’m fine with that until it feeds my stomach. I’m also fine if it doesn’t.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
Im a portrait photographer. im not exactly sure what sets me apart but if I was to guess, in my opinion, it would be how obsessive I am over my work. I’m very determined to make my photos better then the ones I took before. When working with models, I like to make them look the best they’ve looked in a photo. Im usually trying to out do any other person that they’ve worked with. Its really a grind and you have to love it. I’ve shot thousands of photos of people without making a dollar. I just wanted to get better. I think my will to improve has gotten me to where I am today. I think any artist should dedicate those hours to their craft.

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.
When I am in La, I like to do simple stuff. I’d prolly drag my friends to the beach to chill. Hit up a few sushi spots. prolly sushi ipo in downtown la. we’d have to stop by the Fahey/Klein gallery. I love it there. Gotta do nat’s thai spot. tbh, we’d prolly just eat a bunch of shrooms and play dress up. take some photos.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’ve been lucky enough to have a very supportive group of friends. I’m in a collective of artist that really keep me excited and motivated to keep going. I really owe a ton of gratitude to the mother of my daughter though. I had a rough few years where i was struggling to get my income up. I was working mad random jobs just to keep myself fed really. I sold a lot of equipment over the years just trying to stay out of a bind. She bought me my camera i use today and i couldn’t be more appreciative of that type of belief in my ability. she was my muse as well. we made a ton of stuff together and it really helped me learn my camera and style. Thank you all if youre reading . C/s

Instagram: instagram.com/csmickey

Image Credits
Bianca Dasha Jen Jam Isaiah Lauren Vicky