All My 2020 Plans are On Hold

Featuring Jess Ruby James Words by Nastasia Khmelnitski

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Jess James is moved by proximity to the beach, which has become a leitmotif driving her life’s decisions. Not surprisingly, her characters are often in interaction with water or sand. Sun-kissed skin, watery salty hair are elements that add to the created aesthetic of a dreamy feeling surrounding the nymph-like characters. Jess works with a very tender contrast of black and white, creating her signature look.

High spirited, joyful, light, yet also serious and pondering are the models. It seems, if you pause for a fraction of a second, you will hear their thoughts and deepest concerns and passions. Through the work with talents on set, shooting distinct types of people, Jess enables a free flow of ideas to break the boundary of limitation and produce a unique frame that, however, always feeds on and extends her dream-like aesthetics. Jess Ruby James is a Sydney-based photographer, who worked with clients such as Camilla and Marc, Under Armour, Champion, Epokhe, Elle AUS, and more.

We discuss with Jess the roots of her choice to pursue photography, the limitations imposed by the lockdown, and her developing interest in additional mediums. Jess explains the aesthetic she pursues and the decision to shoot on 8mm as an exploration of the moving image. 

‘The beach is my drawing card to wherever I live, in Sydney you get the best of both worlds in terms of having the balance of city/coastal lifestyle. I think it’s a pretty laid back city in that regard, it has the hustle energy, but you can also find the most beautiful spot by the ocean with not a person in sight’

Sydney

Tell us about the city. What are the places you love in Sydney? What is the city’s vibe? 

I’m originally from Perth, so moving to Sydney was an explosion of new experiences and people. I lived in Bondi for a few years and have spent the last 10 months up in Avalon on the Northern Beaches. The beach is my drawing card to wherever I live, in Sydney you get the best of both worlds in terms of having the balance of city/coastal lifestyle. I think it’s a pretty laid back city in that regard, it has the hustle energy, but you can also find the most beautiful spot by the ocean with not a person in sight. 

How does the city affect you as a photographer?

With all that in mind, I tend to shoot near or at the beach, I like the simplicity it offers, the shapes and rawness – I find sometimes the city too jarring/distracting when I’m shooting.

‘The one I really love and have always remembered is a portrait of an Indian man, wearing an orange turban, staring right down the lens – the colours and emotion in his eyes have stuck with me, there is real honesty in that image’

Photography

You mentioned your dad’s passion for photography was one of the main reasons to ignite your interest in the industry. What are some of the most cherished memories you have of your dad’s way to use the camera? 

My family and I travelled a lot when I was younger, dad would always be shooting people and landscapes along the way, I was fascinated by the process. We would spend hours looking back at all the final photos, and there I could figure out his composition, why he would choose his subjects, that was my favourite thing to do. 

What is the photograph he took that you love? 

The one I really love and have always remembered is a portrait of an Indian man, wearing an orange turban, staring right down the lens – the colours and emotion in his eyes have stuck with me, there is real honesty in that image.

‘I’m experimenting with lots of different mediums, which I really look forward to seeing where it will go, as well as the smaller things like surfing, walking, reading’

The Lockdown

What are some of the things you didn’t succeed yet to realize because of the lockdown? 

Like everyone, all my 2020 plans are on hold. I was hoping to do an exhibition, and a few smaller projects, but while they are on the backburner, so much time is now being focused on refining, learning, and creating. I’m experimenting with lots of different mediums, which I really look forward to seeing where it will go, as well as the smaller things like surfing, walking, reading.

What are the new highlights of the day for you since the change in the situation? 

Talking to the loved ones definitely highlights the day.

‘What changes is the understanding of the subject, you pick someone and plan the concept with them in mind, but as you are shooting it's easy to see if the idea will turn out as you imagined or not. Sometimes it's 100 times better, and other times it goes in a different direction’

The Ideas

What was important for you to achieve in terms of emotions or impact in the project you shot with Agi Akur and Cherry Cheung, makeup artist? 

That was a test shoot I did with Cherry, we both had an idea of what we wanted it to look like, but I gave her full creative control, then shot around it. When I got the negatives back, I was blown away with them, Agi is so incredibly beautiful, and each shot just worked. 

What usually changes in the process of the photoshoot compared to the inception of an idea in your head?

What changes is the understanding of the subject, you pick someone and plan the concept with them in mind, but as you are shooting it's easy to see if the idea will turn out as you imagined or not. Sometimes it's 100 times better, and other times it goes in a different direction. Shoots are of course collaborative, that’s the special part, when the model brings something you didn’t imagine to the table, if you are able to notice and capture that, then it's pretty magic!

Short Films

The short films you created are incredibly beautiful, a somewhat throwback to the 70s, an exploration of your aesthetic further to the moving image through romantic characters. Tell about your experience working on short films, the decision to use 8mm, the image you wanted to achieve.  

I have always been more drawn to film than I was to photography, I feel like sometimes it captures the whole feeling rather than a 1/1000th of a second. Film is just another expression for me, whether I’m shooting stills or film, the original idea is always in movement, then I can see what frames within that movement is the moment I want to take. 8mm is purely for the aesthetic. I just love the way it looks and leaves a nostalgic note. 

Dream vs Reality

Your work explores the dream-like atmosphere in which the character is created. The dream is emphasized by a choice of clothes, a model’s mood and face features, nature, and light. What fascinates you in this aesthetic?

I’m not sure how to explain it, it's just this weird pull you have, so this certain aesthetic and each person you work with brings you a little closer to that vision or offers another layer that you possibly didn’t see before. Make sense?! haha

Upcoming Projects

What are your plans for this year? What are you working on right now? 

I’m working on a Zine right now with a few different artists, just in the beginning stages. Other than that, I’ve recently moved to Byron Bay while COVID-19 is alive and kicking, so I’m focusing on settling in and getting stuck into new ideas and projects while I have the time and space!