Interview Advent Day 2 : Jordan Hammond

12/02/2017Jake Ryan

Jordan Hammond is a photographer from the UK who spends his time travelling around the world capturing the most breathtaking moments. Earlier this year I first discovered Jordan's work and I spent a fair amount of time scrolling through his Instagram page looking at every single one of his photos in detail. Admiring not only the amazing places Jordan travels to, but also being inspired by the way he captures a moment.

We asked Jordan a few questions about his life and photography, see what he had to say below.

Hey Jordan, Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Hey! I’m Jordan, a freelance travel photographer from the UK. I’ve been travelling through Asia and Europe for the past 2 years, aiming to capture some of the most remote and undiscovered parts of the continents.

You take amazing photos, when did you first get started out in photography?

I first started on a birthday trip to Rome, where I borrowed my girlfriends camera and found an interest in photography. I arrived back home and immediately bought a Camera for myself to use when I moved to China, and from there I began to photograph every day.

How did you turn your passion into profit and turn photography into your career?

A lot of emails! I did a lot of free jobs for hotels, tour companies and brands in order to boost my portfolio and then started charging for my services once I had a solid amount of experience.

If you were to offer just one piece of advice for budding photographers out there hoping to make a career in the photography field, what would it be?

Practice. A lot of people ask me for the secret to turning photography into a career, but in truth there is no secret. The photos speak for themselves, and you need to be really passionate and wanting to take photos every day to take good photos and make money from it.

Who are some of your favourite photographers?

Nikk La is probably one of my favourites, as his photography was what encouraged me to start in the first place. Jude Allen is also one of my inspirations, and I have followed his work for a long time.

You’ve travelled to some absolutely amazing places, just how often do you get to travel with your work?

I probably travel with work once a month, and the rest of the time I travel out of my own pocket and do product photography as I go.

What’s been the most memorable experience you’ve had so far while travelling?

I’ve had some pretty memorable moments on my travels so far, but one that really stands out was an evening walk along the Ganges in Varanasi, India. Varanasi is known for its riverside cremations, and at night the Ghats come alive with fires and people blessing the dead. It was an eerie yet magical sight to witness.

Do you have a favourite destination you’ve visited?

Japan and China are two of my favourite countries. Both are quite overlooked in terms of Asian destinations, but the culture, the landscapes and the people are so fascinating, not to mention the food. In China, you can go from the cast Gobi Desert to bustling metropolises, from incredible rice terraces to karst land formations in as little as an hours flight. In Japan, there is a real sense of traditional culture still, with the tea houses, geisha, sumo, shrines and temples being visible in every day life.

What else makes you happy?

I am a lover of cheese, fine wine and seeing my friends and family, as I don’t often get to see them. I play football when I get the time, and love trying different food as I travel.

What has been your proudest moment in life so far?

Probably when I won the most improved football player when I was 11 years old. Also when I hit 100K on Instagram was a very proud moment.

And finally, what are your plans for the upcoming year?

To be honest, I have no set plans for next year yet- I barely know what I’m doing next week. I’m hoping to head back to China early next year and travel for a few months with my girlfriend. I’m also hoping to take a bit of down time as I’ve been non-stop for the past year. I’ve started writing down 5 places I want to visit each year, so hopefully I’ll get to check them off too!

First photo of Jordan's I ever saw and remains one of my favourite photos ever.

Thanks Jordan for taking the time to talk to TravelFoodFilm.

Follow Jordan on Instagram (here) to see more of his incredible work.
All photos in this post belong to Jordan.
See Day 1 of our 'Interview Advent' with Brock Dehaven HERE