Interview with Jake Hanson - by Tasha Bielaga

An Interview with Seattle based photographer Jake Hanson

photo by Andrew Imanka

Jake Hanson is a live event and concert photographer in Seattle, Washington. Besides that, he does a lot of marketing through his own company Bogus Creative, as well as other gigs. Jake's been a huge influence to me, as he's one of the first accomplished photographers who almost took me under his wing and is always ready to give me advice. In this interview, we discuss his start working in PR and marketing, the transition into photography and marketing under his own LLC, and how he manages his time between shows and business. 

You started your career in marketing and PR, why did you decide to get into that work?

Half way through college, I was obsessed with snowboarding and action sports, and was slowly coming to the realization that a career in that field was a realistic possibility… growing up in a small farm town, the idea of a job that was “fun” almost seemed too good to be true. After dipping a toe into outdoor retail and sales for a bit, I eventually met a guy who ran a specialty PR firm focused mostly on outdoor/action sports clients. I was going to school for marketing and communications at the time, with no aspirations as to how I was going to use that education, but I persuaded him to bring me on as an intern. The job came fairly naturally to me, and I couldn’t say no to the opportunities it presented.

When did you decide to start doing photography as well, and offering that service to others?

I became obsessed with photography in high school when I enrolled in my first film photography course. With unlimited film available to me and unbarred access to the darkroom, I threw myself into the first creative outlet that really clicked for me. After going through countless rolls and constantly experimenting with analog throughout my college years, I finally picked up my first digital camera and was exposed to a whole new world of possibilities. Having recently accepted a marketing position with a growing lifestyle company, Coal Headwear, I quickly realized the value of photo and video content for developing brands. Social media was on the rise, camera technology was advancing crazy fast, and there were so many fun moments to capture all around me.

What genre of photography did you start in, and do you have a favorite?

When I was working for Coal, a brand that was largely focused on snowboarding and embodied an alternative culture, I cut my teeth snapping photos of some of my favorite board riders and creatives. Part of my job included further development of Coal's ambassador program, which at the time was entirely comprised of snowboarders – aligning with some relevant bands felt like a natural progression for the brand. I began networking with a handful of developing musicians and quickly found myself attending show after show after show, eventually bringing my camera along. I was always a sucker for live music, and then all of the sudden there was this opportunity to combine two of my favorite activities. So long story short – concert photography is my jam, though lately I’ve been focusing a bit more on artist portraiture.

Do you have a favorite part of concert photography? Top 5 bands you've worked with or photographed?

My favorite part of concert photography is never knowing what’s going to be served up at a show. I’ve gravitated towards bands that bring a lot of energy and antics to the stage since the photos usually turn out super fun and the crowds are wild. Picking favorites is always hard for me, but five bands that I’ve been hyped to photograph recently are IDLES, Courtney Barnett, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Shame and Murder City Devils (honorable mention to my homies in Monsterwatch, a killer Seattle band that I shoot regularly that always bring the heat).
As you developed Bogus Creative, how did you decide what services to offer?

Starting my own business was a natural progression of the side hustle. I’ve dabbled in web design since middle school, and have otherwise worked in marketing and public relations for the past ten years. Photography was a later addition, but was a great fit with the other services. It’s always great when you’re making a site for a client or helping with a strategy for their content marketing, and are also able to help them generate that content, knowing what holes you need to fill and what will fit well. 

How do you manage your time between all your gigs?

OYE. I don’t know that I manage my time very well, so I’m probably not the best person to ask about that sort of thing. I’m sure I sound like the typical millennial, but burn-out is real and easy to achieve when you’re constantly shuffling gigs, devoting time to an art, trying to stay healthy and making time for friends and family. My biggest recommendation, and something I wish I would have learned long ago, is to learn how and when to turn off your “work brain". Meditation, exercise and enveloping myself with music have been by far the greatest sources of relief.
What's you typical daily schedule like?  What are your ballpark turn around times and do you stay consistent day to day, or does it vary?

Well, I’m NOT a morning person, so I’m usually slumping down at my computer around 10 or so to wade through a full inbox and prioritize my projects. Every day is a bit different, which I love… some days there are photoshoots, some involve client meetings, and others are a bit more lax in an effort to achieve balance (that thing mentioned above that seems constantly out of reach). In terms of turnaround time for photography, I can’t sit on photos for longer than a couple of days without cranking out an edit. There’s just too much anticipation! Plus, when it comes to music photography, the sooner you can get shots to an outlet or back to the artist, the more relevant they are and the more appreciative they are to receive them. 

You can find Jake on Instagram at instagram.com/trulybogus and his website at trulybogus.com