spotlight: justin hackworth

Justin Hackworth is a photographer based out of Provo, Utah. Have you seen his documentary project with NieNie? Or his 30 Strangers project?

My husband and I had our portraits taken at Justin’s studio last summer and the thing that I loved most was for the first 20 minutes of the session, Justin sat with us and just chatted. Not only that, he took notes! I really felt like he wanted to get to know us. So now, the tables turn and we get to know a little about Justin.

Tell us about what you do.
I am a wedding and portrait photographer and I work in the the tradition of a documentary photographer. I don’t photograph landscapes or puppies in a fruit basket. I photograph people.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?
When I started, there were a number of photographers that really resonated with me. Gary Winnogrand, Elliott Erwitt, Lee Friedlander, Robert Frank, Richard Avedon, Diane Arbus. I still love their work and go back to it again and again. It never gets old. I’m also inspired by music and really, anyone that is performing at the top of their game. I love to see work of any kind that is fresh and original and unlike anything else.

What motivates you to keep at it?
I honestly don’t know what it is inside me that compels me to make photographs. I’ve tried to analyze it, and come up with a reason why I do this rather than playing the guitar or write poems, because I’d like to do those things, too. But I don’t. I make pictures, and I love doing it. It never gets old for me and while I’ve thought about this a lot, I’ve never been able to come up with a reason why I do it. I moved by it. That’s all I know.

What is one thing you are looking forward to?
One thing that I always love, is to go into somebody’s house, and see my work hanging on the walls. It’s nice, because I feel like they are getting enjoyment and pleasure from something I created. So I’m looking forward to more of that as the years go by.

Are there other talents/skills/hobbies you hope to add to your repertoire?
One of these days, I will learn to play the piano. Mark my words.

You can find more of Justin Hackworth here:
website: justinhackworth.com
blog: justinhackworth.com/blog