Check Out Jalen Jones’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jalen Jones.

Hi Jalen, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
First time I picked up a camera was at 14 on a Wednesday at church. I would see people during service capturing moments that I would already notice. There was an interest meeting for youth kids that wanted to get into photography or just camera work. I said why not and walked into a room with two other kids. never discouraged by how unpopular it was, they ran me through ISO, shutter speed and apature. Lasted like 30 minutes and they let me walk around with about $1200 worth of gear at 14 to just figure it out. From then on, I became obsessed with trying to learn and master photography at my church not knowing I was teaching myself on universal skills that I’d be able to apply to any type of creation. This let my creative mind flourish at such a pure young age it only honed my skills and mind to be able to create at such a high level when I applied these skills.

Once I started going with camera work, I was able to quit my day job of almost two years at Starbucks (yes, I was the coldest barista bruh) and go full time with photo/video.

Just after turning 18 I put myself in spaces to shoot all over the city.

I’d be in the gym with basketball players of all stages making 3-4 videos a weekend during the summer. Basketball led me to Devin Vassell of FSU at the time (now drafted to the Spurs going crazy) & Brent Benson of B3 academy who opened up a lot of doors with athletes & trainers in NBA and NFL.

Basketball led me to celebs through Devion Smith (@luhsneak) and Relmoney (Migos Manager). Through them, I found myself with people like Druski, Future, Young Thug, Cole Bennett, G Herbo, Lil Meech, Offset & more.

There’s a whole lot in between all that but it’s all through other people I was able to accomplish and work with people that are in headlines daily and that I also grew up idolizing.

Always grateful for my connections there’s too many to count but they know who they are. That’s Gang!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not. Photography itself was such a time-consuming art with no return. I was okay with it because it was for the church and during that time, it was the one place I found myself most times of the week for years. Starting in videography was a very hard challenge too because it gave more room for failure and more learning on things I’d have to teach myself. For some reason, failing was never an option because the doubts would creep in so to combat that, I would just keep making more stuff so I’d get better to lessen and lessen that idea of failure. the more I made videos did shoots it would show me okay I can consistently do this all I gotta do is make money which was the hardest part. Going all in on my craft was the biggest challenge. With me just finishing high school, I didn’t have any ideas for college and given the pandemic starting in 2020, it gave me just enough time to actually start with my high school career-ending so short and abruptly in March. Biggest challenge was making that decision to really tell myself I have to make this work or I’m back to square one.

One of the people I want to highlight is Reese. This article is about Jalen Raw and how I became what I am through photos.

Well, I don’t get there if it wasn’t for Reese. He was one of the only people that truly looked out in the city for me. He was the same to everybody, caring about other people’s growth more than his own. The long nights that he brought me along to, showed me I could do so much more. he impacted too many people I was just a new addition to everyone he’s helped and been there for. I’ll continue to keep creating. I have to. For Reese.

#LLR🕊“

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I create all types of videos from brand work to personal vlogs, sports mixes, documentaries, recaps, anything. with photos, I do the same. Anywhere a camera can be I can do it. That leads into what sets myself apart. I adapt to any setting to create. Being in clubs with rappers/celebrities until 6am or waking up at 8am to be in the gym with NBA guys. I’d specialize in sports because of how I started working my high school football games & being able to make our 1 win a season team looks like they were the region champs through photo & video. I’m most known for my range of people I get infront of my camera. One day I’ll post a set of the Migos out in the city and next week, I might post a field work session with Collin Sexton.

I pride myself on being able to lock in connections with all types of people from the biggest stars in the city to the backend agents of companies like Adidas.

If I were to single out something I’m most proud of it’s easily my Drake photos. Most people don’t even see him let alone camera guys & I was lucky enough through the connections I made and people I became aquatinted with to be in that space. I just know Drake is no matter how high up you are in the photo/video world it’s always a show stopper and for me to get such unique shots being newly 19 years old is crazy to me truly.

A tool that has set me apart is definitely my prism effect on most of my work. It always adds to my images and makes them one of a kind with how unpredictable the lens flare is. It never is the same effect twice so using it always brings out a different effect. I started using it through church as well. Picked it up one day during a huge service and ordered one the next day

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was always wanting to be the funniest in school as a kid. Up until middle school I made it my goal to be the funniest & most out there kid in class. Always talking and entertaining whoever I was around. It was the easiest way to get people to like me, just to talk. I had an interest in editing as well. The beginning of “slow mo” apps on iPhone had me shooting eggs with BB guns or making my sister record me doing stuff that would look the best slowed down.

I recorded videos on my iPod and watched a lot of YouTube growing up. I was the first generation of iPad kids that were obsessed with YouTube. I always wanted to become someone on that website after watching people play video games and interact on there.

Played all types of video games and was really good at them. Call of Duty, GTA, Minecraft, Fortnite. It was all I cared about outside of school I just really had my own little community on there.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @jalen.raw
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UC3vpRGW75oLptztwTMBmmJA