Meet Jaxson Pohlman

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jaxson Pohlman.

Every artist has a unique story Jaxson. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
As a child, I was naturally curious about everything around me. As I grew, so did the scale and dimension of my curiosity. Eventually, I started to ponder the very nature of existence and the varying philosophies surrounding it. There truly is no better place to pontificate these matters than out in nature, under the stars, in absolute quiet. Taking this time out from the world to genuinely question my place in it and where I fit into the picture made me realize that my mission is to seek light: the light of a human spirit, the light on a starry night, the light that runs throughout all existence.

Through art, I reconcile my place in the universe. It affords me the time to seek light in the world, in others, and myself. It allows me to sort through the happenings of the day and to really decide what’s important enough to keep, and what should be discarded. The act of creating allows me to share my light with others, out there, at the moment. Luckily, I also come home with beautiful recordings of these interactions and I then get to share this light with the world.

Ultimately, photography is my chosen avenue to express my soul’s journey through existence. I get to go to some of the most surreal environments on Earth and dance with the spark of life inherent in all creation. I experience the world and myself in equal measure. I want to share this unfathomable beauty, for all those who can’t get out there themselves and especially for those who long for it.

Please tell us about your art.
I cut my teeth on composite imagery, mostly featuring the night sky. When I got my first inexpensive crop-frame DSLR camera and gained the ability to do long exposures, I was so excited by the possibilities. I was boiling over with ideas but lacked the equipment to execute them all. So, I had to get creative. I had to learn to make it happen with what I had. Subsequently, a lot of my art has centered around breaking down limitations. Often, all I had was a simple camera body and a concept.

Just like life itself, often we end up out there less prepared than we’d like. We have big dreams but the path isn’t always clear. Photography constantly poses this challenge and requires creative, resourceful thinking. When you’re out in the field, far from home, and your client is depending on you to get the shot, you just have to figure it out. It’s these sort of challenges that make me feel alive.

When people see my work, I want them to feel inspired. A lot of photography today is exclusive by design and doesn’t inspire a feeling of connectedness. It’s more about bragging about a lifestyle than sharing the beauty of the world. I want to compel people to go outside and spend time together and connect on creating and the impossible beauty of nature. When we dream about what’s possible instead of fretting what we perceive to be holding us back, we allow our light to shine. Sharing that light makes the whole world a little less dark.

Do you have any advice for other artists? Any lessons you wished you learned earlier?
If I was going to offer any advice to anyone, I would suggest that they spend more time learning about themselves than about the technical aspects of creating art. Sure, photography can be incredibly technical at times, but the thing that makes your art unique to you, and not just some pale simulacrum of something you saw someone else make, is your voice. If you never take the time to foster a good relationship with yourself, you won’t be able to coax your voice out. Nothing makes art fall flatter than creating dishonestly. That’s not to say that emulation is a bad thing, just as long as you’re using it as a stepping stone to finding your true voice.

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
People mostly engage with my work through Instagram (@jaxsonpohlmanphotography) but I also have a website: jaxsonpohlmanphotography.com where people can buy prints or inquire about collaborating.

Contact Info:

• Address: 353 S. Grand Mere Ct.
  Wichita, Kansas.
  67020.
• Website: jaxsonpohlmanphotography.com
• Phone: 13167342006
• Email: jaxsonpohlman@gmail.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/jaxsonpohlmanphotography
• Facebook: facebook.com/jaxsonpohlmanphotography

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