Q&A: A Mix of the Real, the Creative, and the Ridiculous
- Jesse Jacques
- May 12
- 9 min read
Updated: May 12
It’s been almost three years since my last Q&A, back in August 2022 (you can still find it here ▶︎ [“I Answered Your Questions”]).
Rereading it now, it’s wild how fast time moves. Back then, I had just started leaning into photography more seriously, mostly to support my filmmaking. I didn’t expect it to grow into its own thing, with its own voice. But it did. And now here we are.
A lot has shifted since then. How I see. How I create. How I show up. So I figured it was time to do another one of these.
The questions are a mix. Some were submitted when I mentioned I was doing this again. Some came up in passing. A few made me laugh out loud, and I knew right away they had to be included. Others have circled around in conversation enough times that I figured it was finally time to answer them.
This is just a fun check-in. A way to share more of the in-between moments. Nothing too serious. Unless it becomes serious.
Either way, I’m glad you’re here. So here we go, some questions, some answers, and whatever lives in between.
Are you a coffee or tea drinker, or something else?
Tea and good water. I stopped drinking coffee and caffeine a few years ago. I was having too much of it, and if I didn’t have it, I’d get headaches from withdrawals 😂. So I cut it all out. Now I mostly drink ginger tea, and I have fun trying different waters in glass bottles. It’s a whole thing.
What show are you low-key obsessed with right now?
The X-Files. I’d never seen it before, and now I’m completely pulled in. I’ve been slowly making my way through the series over the last few months. I’m on season 7 right now and can’t wait to see where it goes.
Do you consider yourself more introverted or extroverted?
Probably somewhere in the middle. I spend a lot of time in my own space, thinking, creating, just being in my own rhythm. But when the energy’s right, or the project matters, I’m fully present and engaged. I’m not drawn to noise or crowds just to be social. But when something’s real, and I’m aligned with it, I’m all in. Whether it’s the people, the moment, or the purpose, I give it everything I’ve got.
Have you ever ghosted someone after one weird creative meeting?
Yes. I actually have. Not off one meeting, but after a few back-and-forths where the vibe kept shifting and they’d reach out, disappear, then pop back up like nothing happened, then disappear again. I’m direct when it makes sense, but sometimes ghosting is just the cleanest exit.
Are you married yet or what?
Sooo random. 😂 Not yet. You know someone? Feel free to send them my way, just screen for alignment, a sense of humor, and someone who actually gets the vibe.
Have you ever been on dating apps?
Again, very random 😆. But you know what’s funny? I had a few friends who swore I’d make a killing on there (their words, not mine) and kept trying to get me to sign up. But I’ve never been on one. I just can’t do it. I need to feel someone’s energy in real life, not through a phone and a couple of profile prompts.
Do you have siblings, or are you the mysterious only child?
I have sisters. So I was raised around a lot of personality, opinions, and sharp intuition. They’re so sweet, though, always checking in on me, always making sure I’m good.
Cat person or dog person?
Both. I have dogs, but I really like cats too. Dogs are like your playful, goofy best friend, always down for anything and somehow always listening. But cats? They’re graceful, slightly weird, and psychic in a different way. Totally different energy, but I respect both.
Next vacation spot you’re eyeing?
Japan. It’s been calling for a while now.
If someone wanted to collaborate with you, what’s the best way to approach it?
Assuming you mean as an individual, not a brand or business, the truth is, “collaboration” has started to mean something different lately. Social media turned it into this weird, performative exchange where everyone’s calculating what it’ll do for their image, or how it might “position” them. It stopped being about the actual work.
That kind of energy never lands well with me. If someone’s reaching out with that mindset, it’s usually obvious.
For something real to happen, there has to be mutual respect for the process, not just the outcome. The idea has to matter. The energy has to feel right. And it should never feel like one person’s trying to “leverage” the other.
So the best way to approach it? Be honest. Know what you’re reaching out for. If it’s truly about the work, you won’t have to oversell it.
Do you believe people can feel energy in a photo?
Absolutely Yes, esp on film. Because a photo isn’t just visual, it’s vibrational. It carries the frequency of the moment it was made, including the state of the person behind the camera. We think photography captures light, but it also records presence. Composition, timing, stillness, even the breath of the maker, all of that gets sealed into the frame. People don’t always know what they’re responding to. But they’re responding to something real.
What part of your creative process feels the most private?
Ohh, that’s a good one. The part before there’s an idea. When nothing’s clear yet and I’m just sitting with whatever’s starting to move. Sometimes it’s gradual. Sometimes it’s instant. But it always shows up differently. That early stage isn’t something I can show anyone. It’s not a sketch or a concept. It’s more like a shift, quiet, internal, and different every time.
What’s the last photo you took just for yourself?
Recently, actually. Someone I’ve worked with for a few years, mostly behind the scenes, sent me a 35mm rangefinder from her home country. It was a thoughtful gift, and I’d been waiting for the right time to try it out. A few weeks later, my sisters flew into town for a visit. We went out on a photo walk, no plan, just playing around.
We took turns posing, finding light, and making each other laugh. I burned through the rolls in about an hour. It wasn’t for anything. No intention beyond the moment. It felt easy. Like we were kids just playing around.
Do you think anyone can develop artistic vision, or is it something you’re born with?
Wow, another deep question. Ok, I’ll give you the real.
I think it’s a mix. Some people arrive already close to their voice. Others have to take the long way. It’s not just about talent either. It’s about how someone has internalized the world, what they’ve seen, what they’ve absorbed, what they’ve been exposed to, or what they’ve gone without. Some people are further along in their ability to express what they feel because they’ve been paying attention for a long time. Others are still trying to hear past the noise.
Everyone has the potential for vision. But not everyone is in touch with themselves deeply enough to translate it yet. Sometimes it’s buried under fear, perfectionism, distraction, or years of trying to sound like someone else.
You can learn a technique. That part is easy. But vision comes from clarity. You have to learn how to listen to yourself without distortion. And once you hear something real, you have to be willing to say it, exactly as it is.
What’s one thing people misunderstand about how you work?
A lot of people assume I’m constantly in control. That everything is calculated and planned out from the start. But that’s not really how it happens.
There’s a whole part of my process that’s intuitive, open, and sometimes messy. A photo might look refined in the end, but getting there isn’t linear. It comes in layers. Shifts. Listening. I don’t always know what it’s going to be until I’m inside it.
The structure comes later. But the core of the work, what gives it weight, is often something I didn’t consciously plan for. That part can’t really be explained while it’s happening. It just has to be followed.
What’s something that makes you say yes to a project?
If it moves something in me. Not in a loud or hyped-up way, but in that quiet, internal way where I can feel there's something real there, emotionally, creatively, or even just an edge I haven’t worked with yet.
Sometimes it’s the subject. Sometimes it’s who’s involved. Sometimes it’s the way the whole thing makes me pause and think, I haven’t done that before.
I also pay attention to energy. If it feels aligned, if the people are grounded, the purpose is clear, and there’s room for something meaningful, I’m open. It just has to feel like there’s something real to build. Something that matters enough to show up fully for.
What do you look for in someone you’d want to work with?
It really depends on the project. The mood shifts. The visual tone changes. Sometimes the person I’m drawn to looks nothing like what I thought I was looking for. But what stays the same is the feeling underneath it.
I’m drawn to people who carry something honest. It might show up in a feature like a strong nose, a gap in the teeth, anything that adds character. But it’s rarely just about how someone looks. It’s about what’s coming through.
There has to be a sense of openness. Some kind of fire or quiet vulnerability. Something that lets you in. That part can’t be forced. And you can feel when it’s there.
If we opened your computer tabs right now, what would surprise us most?
No joke, I have six Google Docs open, each tied to a different project I’m cycling through. What might surprise you is the industries they’re for. Creative work, yes, but for executives in some of the driest, most traditional fields you can imagine. They’re not creative industries, but they need creative vision in some form.
Any big projects you're working on that you can share?
I have a filmmaking project later this year that I’m prepping for. It’s exciting, and honestly, I’m working on something related to it almost every day. Right now, I’m focused on shaping the rhythm of the opening sequence. It’s meant to set the tone for a voiceover, so it has to land just right. That’s a small glimpse into a longer-term piece that’s in the works. Aside from that, the usual photography projects keep moving, some client-based, some personal, but all part of the rhythm.
What film stocks are you reaching for the most lately?
For color, I’ve been using a lot of Kodak Ektar 100 lately, along with some Cinestill. For black and white, I’m rotating through Kodak Tmax 100 and Ilford Delta 100 (in 4x5), and Catlabs 80 in 8x10. I had bought a stack of boxes, and I’m still working through them.
What’s something you’re working on right now that’s flying under the radar?
Yes, I’m gathering materials for something I’m really excited about. Lately, I’ve been hunting for a specific working vintage analog machine on eBay that will be part of it. That’s all I can share right now, but it’s in motion.
I also have an infrared black and white project on large format coming up soon.
Is there a dream photo project you haven’t made yet?
Good question, and I have numerous. Let me just put out a few into the universe 😂. I have a couple of portrait-based series I’ve been wanting to shoot, with very specific looks and energy from the people involved. One is fitness- and physique-related, but done in a cool, artistically driven way (nothing like you've seen before). The other is a boudoir series, but not in the modern, trendy sense, more old-school, avant-garde, and illustrative. I just haven’t had the time to pull it all together yet. The hardest part is finding the right people to build it with.
But when the time’s right, I could see them turning into something bigger, maybe a full printed series, something bound, or even shown or collected.
What’s been inspiring you lately?
Geometry. Frequency. Futuristic concepts, especially in contrast with how AI is reshaping everything. I’ve been thinking a lot about structure versus intuition, and how energy moves through form. Certain shapes just hold power, and I’ve been paying attention to that more. Also, the way people are adapting, how some are becoming more machine-like, while others are becoming more human. That contrast inspires me too.
Thanks for reading through all of that. I’m not sure what kind of Q&A this turned into, but if something made you laugh, pause, or just feel a little more connected to your own process, then I’m glad it reached you.
When you're ready to shape the unseen into image, the path opens. Let's begin.
