Spotlight
Each month, Nevada Camera Club highlights one of our members as the featured photographer, celebrating their talent, creativity, and unique perspective. This special feature offers members and visitors an opportunity to explore the photographer’s artistic vision through a curated selection of images and personal insights into their photographic journey.
This gallery features photographs created by our featured photographer and are presented for viewing and appreciation only. All images remain the property of its photographer and may not be copied, reproduced, or distributed without written permission.
Jerome Hamilton
Portraits, Passion & Perspective
Meet Jerome: Behind the Lens
I’ve always been a hard worker and maybe just a little bit of a perfectionist! Whether it’s photography, travel, work, or even a birthday party, I like to take things beyond “good enough” and make them the best they can be. My son, Josh, can vouch for those birthday parties!
My photography journey started with my mom’s Kodak Instamatic. By the late ’70s, I was photographing people and school events with my Minolta Rangefinder. I even tried to join the Yearbook Committee, but they decided I wasn’t “creative enough.” Junior-high politics!
Then one photograph changed everything. When a classmate saw her finished portraits, her excitement was contagious. I knew then that I wanted to create photographs that made people feel something.
I’ve been inspired by many photographers from Helmut Newton, Richard Avedon, and Herb Ritts in portraiture to Ansel Adams and Galen Rowell in landscapes. Meeting nature photographer Frans Lanting also left a lasting impression.
From Film to the Big Time
My passion for photography has never really stopped growing and what started with film, odd jobs, and a lot of trial and error, eventually became a career I’m incredibly proud of.
I photographed weddings in college and eventually opened a studio in Las Vegas in the late ’90s where I began photographing major hotel advertising campaigns with 4x5 and 8x10 Horseman cameras, along with catalog work using SLRs. Yes, I’ve hauled some pretty serious cameras around!
As photography moved into the digital age, I jumped right in. As a Kodak Ambassador, I worked with representatives to introduce some of the early Kodak, Canon, and Nikon digital cameras to Las Vegas which led to ambassador roles with Novatron Lighting and FJ Westcott, Delkin Devices and Canon USA which was my proudest and highest achievement.
I’ve never had formal photography or art training, so most of my education came from books, seminars, presentations, and plenty of experimentation. In the film days, mistakes weren’t exactly “Ctrl+Z.” This would mean, a week later, I was doing the whole shoot again.
What started as a passion for learning, eventually grew into an opportunity to teach and lead photography workshops around the world. I’m especially proud to have celebrated 25 years of my Cancun Photography Workshop. For me, learning never stops. I still love discovering new techniques and seeing photography through someone else’s eyes. And even when I’m the one teaching, I’m perfectly happy to sit in the audience and learn from another photographer.
And then there’s Nevada Camera Club. I’ve been fortunate enough to earn Photographer of the Year three times. The first was the most exciting because I had worked so hard toward that goal. When it finally happened, it felt pretty darn good! The second came from simply being a bit of a photography machine. The third? Well, apparently, I “crushed it by a landslide” and I didn’t even know I was in the running!
People, Personality & A Little Photo Magic
I’ve always loved photographing people. From weddings and celebrations to dancers, acrobats, models, and everyday people. I’m fascinated by the stories and personalities hiding behind the face.
I especially enjoy working with dancers and acrobats. The way they move, bend, and create shapes that seem almost impossible. In the studio, I love playing with light, shadow, and black & white to bring out mood, emotion, and character.
One of my favorite parts of portrait photography is capturing something people may not even realize is there. Sometimes the person in front of my camera sees themselves one way, and then I show them the photograph and they say, “Wow…is that really me?” That’s when I know I’ve done my job!
Getting comfortable in front of the camera takes a little time, so I like to talk, find a common interest, and get to know people before we start shooting. Even with professional models, that connection makes a difference. And when it comes to kids and animals, my secret weapon is simple: patience and waiting for them to forget I’m holding a camera!
For me, a memorable portrait is more than a great pose or pretty lighting. It captures a feeling, a mood, or a little piece of someone’s personality and turns it into a memory that lasts.
As for the one person, past or present, I’d love to photograph? Marilyn Monroe. I have a feeling that would be one unforgettable photo session!
Creativity, Learning & Sharing the Fun
My photographic style leans toward high key, especially those clean, bright studio portraits with beautiful white backgrounds. When I plan a shoot, the subject always comes first, followed by the location, wardrobe, lighting, and finally the pose. In other words, there’s a method to my madness!
One of the things I enjoy most about photography is sharing what I’ve learned. Through the Photographic Society of America and workshops around the world, I love helping photographers create images they didn’t think they could make. And there’s nothing better than hearing those “oohs” and “aahs” when someone sees the result on the back of the camera!
My biggest advice? The fancy gear can wait. Get to know the camera you already own, read the manual, even though I’d rather do almost anything else, and practice. Cameras are full of buttons these days. Shoot full RAW, buy good lenses, use media cards that are rated exceptionally great, set your color space to Adobe RGB, and turn off…"shoot without card". And don’t be afraid to make mistakes. You’re going to make them anyway, so you might as well learn something from them!
I believe strongly in critiques, competition, and learning from other photographers. That’s one of the things I appreciate about Nevada Camera Club. There are so many ways to learn from workshops and fellow members to competitions, critiques, and photographic adventures.
And if I could give my younger photographic self a single piece of advice? Take some art classes! Photography is a wonderful journey, but there’s always something new to learn—and that’s what keeps it exciting.
Gear, Gadgets & A Little M&M Magic
My camera bag depends on the assignment. A race weekend calls for very different gear than a portrait session, so there’s really no such thing as a “standard” camera bag for me!
On a typical outing, you might find two camera bodies, at least three lenses, filters, extra batteries and memory cards, two speedlights, a transmitter, grids, a GoPro, a 360 camera, a phone charger, flashlight, headlamp—and, of course, M&M Peanuts. You know…just the essentials!
I don’t really have one favorite lens because every lens has a job. My two workhorses are the Canon 24–70mm f/2.8L and 70–200mm f/2.8L. They can handle everything from portraits and landscapes to street photography. I also love having the 24–105mm RF L 2.8 and 100–500mm RF L handy when I need a little more flexibility or a lot more reach!
And that 50mm f/1.8 “nifty fifty”? It may not be the most expensive lens in the bag, but it sure knows how to punch above its weight.
Adventures, Inspiration & What’s Next
Africa is at the top of my list of memorable photography experiences. It wasn’t just about photographing incredible wildlife and landscapes. It was a life-changing experience that taught me a lot about culture, people, and seeing the world differently.
Some of my favorite experiences were creating images live on stage for Canon USA events. I loved starting with an idea, building the scene in front of an audience, and watching that vision come to life, not only through my camera, but through the cameras of hundreds of photographers. The Capture Catalina events were especially unforgettable, with six Canon instructors and more than 500 students taking over Avalon. Let’s just say we made our presence known!
What keeps photography exciting after all these years? My imagination. If an idea pops into my head, I’ll keep working on it until I’ve created what I envisioned. Then I start thinking about the next one.
I also love returning to places I’ve photographed before. The location may be familiar, but the light, weather, and mood are never the same. There’s always another photograph waiting to be discovered.
If I could leave photographers with just one piece of advice, it would be simple: Learn lighting and composition. Lighting creates the mood, and composition tells the viewer where to look. When they work together, they can turn a good photograph into a great story.
And Nevada Camera Club? It has been part of my photographic journey since the late ’90s. I learned a tremendous amount from the critiques even when, in my early competition days, I got my butt kicked! I listened, learned, improved, and eventually came back for more. Now I enjoy giving back to the same community that helped shape me.
That’s what I love most about photography: there’s always something new to learn, something new to create, and someone new to share it with.
To See More of Jerome's Images Visit:
https://www.jeromehamilton.com
https://www.instagram.com/jeromeghamilton/