Jury 2010

Jaime Owens

EDITOR / PHOTOGRAPHER, SKATEBOARDER MAGAZINE (USA)

"Just working for Skateboarder and having published shots in it is my career highlight to date. I never thought I would be a professional photographer." This shouldn’t be taken as false humility from Jaime Owens, editor and photo editor of Skateboarder Magazine.

Talented editor, yes. Great photographer, of course. Passionate about skateboarding, most definitely. And it’s the passion that makes people like Jaime humble about what they do. For sure, they have a blast making a magazine about the best skateboarders on the planet which is written for skateboarders - but there’s also a monk-like, ego-less subservience to the cult of the board itself. But hey, it’s got to be a fun job.

"I started taking snap shots in high-school and then wanted to pursue it more professionally in college." Jaime majored in Studio Art in Florence, the town in South Carolina that is, before moving inter-state to Columbia. He got a job there at Manifest Discs and Tapes. However, the big dream was the move to California with its "billion skate spots compared to the 3 or 4 spots back in South Carolina."

Starting off as an intern in Skateboarder Magazine, nine years later he is the editor and has no regrets. "Life's been pretty good to me the past couple of years. You'll never know what's possible until you try. It seemed natural to combine my love of skateboarding and photography into one." He still likes to use his old Nikon FM2 film camera while loaded down with all of the current digital cameras of the day.

As for a job description, he explains that it's all about "emails, editing, emails, skating, emails, editing, more skating" in an ever-rotating order. Even a stint as an associate producer of JACKASS on MTV in its first season couldn’t keep him away from the magazine. However, he has said before that a crucial part of his job is "making sure everybody has fresh coffee and donuts in the morning." Apparently for the pros, that’s all the gear and nutrients you need – a skateboard, a camera, beans and sugar.

No matter how familiar or different that sounds to your usual photo shoot set-up, in certain cases the song remains the same for all photographers. "What makes a great photo? It’s capturing the perfect moment." However, as for new developments in skateboard photography, Jaime definitely sees an upward curve in standards. "I would just say that the quality has gotten better. Photos are sharper and pop more. Plus, there are a lot more photographers out there now."

As for any photographer working in their industry, there are considerations regarding sponsors, which styles and tricks are in demand and who the best riders are. For Jaime however, the personalities and companies involved are secondary to the actual shot. "If you have a great photo and a great trick, it doesn't matter who it is. But I think each magazine has its favorite boarders and some guys get in more than others."

Jaime’s main reason for getting involved with Red Bull Illume is "the gathering of great photographers." However, the intriguing thing about the contest is that jurors will not know the names of the great photographers until the official unveiling in May. The judging phase is completely anonymous. But will your photos pop enough to catch his eye?

www.skateboardermag.com