Jordan Hammond

A CULTURAL REFLECTION

Jordan’s ability to capture colour is a striking aspect of his travel photography. Just as captivating is his ability to capture intimate images which draw you in and make you feel as though you’re part of the very landscape yourself.

CURATOR KARINA EASTWAY | PHOTOGRAPHER JORDAN HAMMOND | DESTINATION WORLDWIDE

HOW DID YOU GET INTO TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY?
I moved to China after graduating at university, and bought a camera whilst there so I could document my time there for my family and friends. My partner and I travelled a lot whilst in China, so I was taking photos regularly and learned that I really enjoyed it. From there, we decided to travel Asia for five months using the money we had saved from working in China, and that was when my passion for photography really kicked off.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE TRAVEL MEMORY?
Travelling with my dad, sister and brother-in-law through China. We took them on a two-week trip through North-Western China, so we were travelling through some really rural parts of the country.
A lot of the places had a huge Tibetan influence, so it was great to experience that with my family. During the trip, we had to take a baby calf to the nearest farm whilst our bus had broken down as the herd had left without the calf. Trying to explain to a family of Tibetans who lived in the middle of nowhere amongst the grasslands that the calf had lost its family in broken Mandarin was quite an experience, and I’m pretty sure the story will be told by that family for generations as the three foreigners who turned up one day carrying a calf as a gift.

HOW ABOUT A FAVOURITE IMAGE YOU’VE TAKEN?
Probably the photo of the monks in a pagoda in Bagan, Myanmar. I had been hoping to shoot this for months but couldn’t find the pagoda where the monks did this kind of shoot. On our last day in Bagan, we just happened to stumble into the pagoda and walked in on another photographer shooting the monks, so luck was really on our side.

YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY IS UNUSUAL AND SO BROAD – FROM AERIALS TO LANDSCAPES, ANIMALS, PEOPLE… EVERYTHING REALLY. WHAT INSPIRES YOU AND WHAT’S A FAVOURITE SUBJECT TO SHOOT?
I love being able to shoot a multitude of subjects, and I think some photographers really limit themselves when it comes to this. I try to use colour as a theme to my photos rather than the subject itself, so the photos of people or cities don’t look too out of place next to landscapes. I love showing different cultures and locations around the world, and hope to inspire people to travel and see new places, even if it is in their home country. My all time favourite thing to shoot though is local people, especially in China, as I think these kinds of photos tell the best stories.

WHAT’S THE GREATEST LENGTHS YOU’VE GONE TO TO GET A SHOT AND WHAT WAS IT OF?
Probably a 15-hour drive to get to Yaqing Temple in Sichuan. The temple is home to the largest community of Buddhist nuns in the world, and was incredible to shoot.

WHERE ARE YOU FROM ORIGINALLY AND WHERE ARE YOU BASED NOW?
I’m from Dover, Kent, a small town on the South-East Coast of the UK. However, I am currently based in sunny Bali.

AT THE TIME OF THIS INTERVIEW, WHERE ARE YOU OFF TO NEXT AND HOW DID THE TRIP COME ABOUT?
I’m off to Peru next month, where I will be hosting a photography workshop. The workshop will take people through some of the most beautiful landscapes in Peru for 11 days, teaching them everything I know about photography and editing. I’m really excited to go as the trip will include Rainbow Valley which I didn’t get to go to on my last visit to Peru.

DO YOU HAVE A TOP TRAVEL TIP?
Wake up for sunrise. When you are the only person at a location that is packed full of people during the day, it makes you appreciate the place a lot more.

HOW ABOUT TOP PHOTOGRAPHY TIP FOR BEGINNERS?
Practice, remember the rule of thirds and seek inspiration from your favourite photographers. Imitate their techniques until you find a style of your own.

AND OF COURSE, TIPS FOR BUILDING A STRONG SOCIAL FOLLOWING?
Be active. There’s nothing more annoying than people wondering why they can’t grow a following when they just post and then exit the App. Make friends with people, comment on other accounts in the same niche as you and say something meaningful. Have they just posted a picture of Paris? Ask how their trip was! Make 90 new connections a day and you will find growing a following is a lot easier. Also, content is very important and you need to post good, different and captivating stuff, whether it be photos, videos or blogs.

FINALLY, IS THERE A QUOTE THAT INSPIRES YOU MOST?
“Look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself, what do I want to do everyday for the rest of my life… do that.” Gary Vaynerchuk.