Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Stoltzfus.
Hi Jason, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I moved to Nashville in 2005 and was immediately taken by the community of artists here. The best musicians, writers, photographers, and filmmakers I’d ever met, all in one place. It was inspiring to feel like you could make anything you wanted to make, and there would be a place for it in the greater creative scheme of things.
By the early 2010’s I was writing songs, playing in a band with my friend Tyler Bryant, and filling in those schedule’s by way of various production work on tour with artists like Little Big Town, Zac Brown Band, Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney and others. Life on the road is everything that it’s cracked up to be, and I started discovering that the work of all the great music photographers of our time looked an awful lot like my life too. The timeless work of Mick Rock, Henry Diltz, Jim Marshall, Ross Halfin, and Danny Clinch were a new lens from which to see my own world – and so I picked up a camera and started documenting my everyday life at home, on the road, and wherever else a night would take us.
By 2016-2017 my work had found its own voice and the years that followed offered a non-stop travel schedule documenting artists like George Strait, Aerosmith, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, ACDC, Brothers Osborne, Halestorm, Phoebe Bridgers, Eric Church and various others. I began really focusing on photography and filmmaking as a form of story telling, and understanding the historical significance of capturing so many special moments with some of my favorite artists and heroes.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’ve been very lucky to be a part of so many wonderful things in my career over the last 20 years. Though the creative life certainly comes with its share of highs and lows, I think it’s most important to keep focused on the bigger picture and always be looking forward regardless of the emotional landscape brought on by success or failure.
It’s easy to ride the ups and downs of getting a big opportunity or not being able to put the pieces together. As we’ve heard everyone say, Nashville is a 10 year town, and sometimes that 10 is 20. It’s essential to keep making the work that is most important to you, regardless of the success or lack of success it might return. The top of every mountain is the bottom of another, and for me consistency is key in making my best work for a sustained period of time.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a fine art photographer working primarily in music. My images have been featured on the covers of Grammy Award winning albums, Number 1 hit radio singles, and printed in global publications like Rolling Stone, Billboard, People, Relix!, Metal Hammer, Kerrang, and Guitar World Magazine amongst others. I specialize in capturing authentic moments in a documentary style and am best known for my work with Halestorm, George Strait, Larkin Poe, Cody Johnson and Daniel Donato.
My latest project, Velvet Hill Gallery, is a Fine Art gallery of curated images from my archive over the last 15 years. The works in the gallery feature hundreds of never before seen images of my time traveling in orbit with George Strait, Aerosmith, Jeff Lynne’s ELO, ACDC, Lyle Lovett, Sting and others. All of the images are available in limited editions, and printed on museum quality materials.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Spending time in Ireland with my grandparents and experiencing their favorite traditions which have passed through generations.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jasonstoltzfus.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonstoltzfus
- Other: https://velvethillgallery.com
