Meet J. Pamela of J. Pamela Stills Photography

Today we’d like to introduce you to J. Pamela.

Hi J., so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My path into photography was created by my love for tennis. As far back as 2004, my co-workers and I would end our work-day, walk across the university campus to the tennis courts and play doubles. Those post-work doubles match transitioned into me and my good friend (and co-worker) Mike going to the Sony Ericsson Tennis Tournament in Key Biscayne, Florida. This became an annual occurrence…. watching the matches for the opening weekend of the tournament, arriving around 10:00 am and not leaving until the last match was played, which would sometimes be as late as midnight or later. I bought my first camera to take photos of the matches and players. I spent about $500 on a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5. It had 12x zoom which was my main reason for the purchase. I still have that camera and it still works.

Photographing tennis tournaments created a natural evolution into event photography. Keeping an eye on what’s happening during the matches, waiting for “that moment” to click the shutter. The same principle applies when I am photographing an event. I am scanning the space to get a sense of “that moment” that is about to happen. I enjoy events because it presents an opportunity to (1) meet new people whose qualifications and experiences are just blind-blowing and (2) learn about the exciting things they are doing to help others and their communities.

In addition to events, I provide headshot photography. The world has become “social” and having a professional online pictorial representation is now one of those necessary things. Headshots, for me, allows me to provide something that is more than just a portrait… it is a person’s digital identity, it’s unique, it makes a personal statement.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has not been very smooth… mostly because of the continuing pandemic. When I moved to KCMO in October 2019, I had the initial challenge of making friends and connections in a new city. I was very fortunate to photograph Black Tech Weekend (sponsored by the Kauffman Foundation) in November 2019. Four months later, the city was shut down. Now about 16-months into the pandemic, it’s like I am starting all over. At the end of 2019, beginning of 2020, I was meeting other photographers in the area and learning from their experiences in the city. Not having that continued interaction creates a bit of a gap in understanding the nuances of the Metro. I am looking forward to mingling once again.

As you know, we’re big fans of J. Pamela Stills Photography. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
As a photographer in the Kansas City metro, I use my camera to document life and all it represents in its glorious, and sometimes not so glorious, moments. I really enjoy being an EVENT PHOTOGRAPHER. Whether covering a sporting event, capturing those heart-stopping, thrilling, or agonizing moments, or documenting other than a sporting event where there is always so much energy, positive vibes, friendship, and mutual respect on display, my job is capturing the emotion and authenticity of the moment.

As a HEADSHOT PHOTOGRAPHER, I provide high school and college graduates, established professionals, business owners, persons who operate within the digital environment an ability to create or update their digital identity and make an impact statement with a professional portrait. Operating within this creative space, I am most proud when I have the ability to use photography to bring joy to a person’s life. Providing a service to someone who wouldn’t otherwise be able to obtain it because of a financial barrier is very rewarding. Being the change I want to see in the world.

I also operate an online photo gallery. Aaron Siskind said, “Photography is a way of Feeling, of Touching, of Loving …” The gallery art pieces are a result of the time I spend being one with my camera. Photos describe the world around us. My gallery is a representation of the beauty that I see around me. The artwork can be beautifully displayed as a wall-art in a home or office space. The artwork also makes it easy to gift to those in your life and to extend a friendly hello to a new acquaintance. My online gallery is accessible at https://ravissement.darkroom.tech.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
For someone just starting out in the world of photography, I can offer a few words as they begin to navigate. (1) At the center of photography is light. Whether photographing in a studio or in the outdoors, learn how the amount, direction, positioning of light work in creating your image. (2) When photographing and you need to put your camera down for a minute, please put it on the floor or ground. Whatever price has been paid for the camera, it is too much to lose when we are careless and the camera falls and crashes (3) Photograph what you enjoy photographing.

When I was starting out, I wish I had an opportunity to be a photographer’s assistant. The hands-on experience and first-hand knowledge gained would have been priceless.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://ravissement.darkroom.tech, https://jpamelastills.com/
• Other: Print Gallery: https://ravissement.darkroom.tech

Image Credits
J. Pamela Stills Photography