For Los Angeles-based imagemaker Jared Milgrim, work is a blend of two longtime passions: music and photography. “I have family in the music biz and I’ve been a fan since I was a toddler,” says Milgrim, 22. “I started studying photography in high school and fell in love with it. Luckily the two genres just merged.”
"Photography is like this addiction. Every day you try to get another great shot to add to the collection."
A graduate of Brooks Institute of Photography, Milgrim specializes in rock-and-roll imagery, shooting portraits, album covers, and live-concert shots (click here for a gallery of his photos). His subjects range from established acts—such as Aerosmith, Perry Farrell, and John Mayer—to hot newer artists including Amy Winehouse, My Chemical Romance, and Panic at the Disco. “It’s all about networking,” Milgrim says of meeting performers. “People I’ve worked with have referred me to other artists.”
Milgrim started out shooting on black-and-white film with a Nikon F100, then went digital in 2002. “With my Nikon D2X, I can use the same working methods but check my shots on the LCD screen. And I’ve been able to continue using all my NIKKOR lenses,” he says. “In my bag I have three amazing lenses, each with a purpose.” For live concerts, Milgrim shoots with the AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G IF-ED. “With its Vibration Reduction it’s amazing what you can achieve in low-light situations,” he says. He sometimes uses the Nikon DX Fisheye-NIKKOR 10.5mm f/2.8G ED lens “to document the whole scene of what’s going on.” And he packs a Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED, which he calls “a great wide-angle to normal lens for closeup situations, like portraits.”
In portrait sessions, Milgrim tries to bring out the charisma in his subjects. “Most artists are pretty normal people—they just happen to have something really special about them. So I push to find what that is,” he says. “Photography is like this addiction. Every day you try to get another great shot to add to the collection.”
Discography
American Photo speaks with Jared about his equipment, his experience and his success.
