SPOTLIGHT: Jonathan Hawkins, Gittings Global, Indiana

Gittings Global celebrates five years with our own “accidental” photographer, Jonathan Hawkins. Based in Indianapolis, Jonathan embraced this career detour 22 years ago and continues to find joy in every session – even those that involve nearly a dozen show dogs!

Learn more about Jonathan in this Q&A.

Where are you based?
I’m based in Indianapolis, Indiana.

How many years have you been a photographer? (Not necessarily employed with Gittings)
I have been a professional photographer for about 22 years.

What is the most interesting photoshoot/subject you’ve ever photographed?
One of the most interesting shoots I’ve had so far was 11 dogs at once. These were all highly trained show dogs but there was no way they were all going to sit at once so I captured them all individually in the studio and composited them together. Then we played frisbee in the field after the shoot.

What do you like most about being a photographer?
The thing I like most about being a photographer, or about being a portrait photographer specifically, is that every session is a little different. Different personalities, different needs/looks, different locations.

Do you ever shoot with a film camera?
I was actually trained using film at art school, but haven’t used film in 25 years. I prefer the flexibility of digital.

What is your favorite vacation destination?
I don’t really have a favorite vacation destination, I love having time off at home. I do like the mountains though.

How did you choose photography as an art form/career?
I chose photography a little accidentally. I had to take it as a prerequisite for graphic design/illustration and hated it last first—the chemicals and the ‘photo math’. But by the second semester, I loved it and chose it as my career.