Yazmine, 2016

JIRAWADI

GOLDEN BOY PRESS INTERVIEW #390

Meet JIRAWADI a photographer who captures the intense color that some people seem to forget even exist in this world.  While capturing wonderful and interesting looking people from her travels, she frames them in a way that seems like you know their story. With such personal photography, but with dashes of influence coming from intense color theory, and fashion photography, you can escape into her work.  You can escape into a tropical world that seems like it wouldn’t even exist on earth.  Honestly, there isn’t much else to say other than you just have to see her work for yourself.

Could you introduce yourself? I’m Jirawadi (jeer-AH-wuh-dee) I’m from Thailand, now I live in Florida. I never want to grow up.

What’s your life philosophy? How do you try to apply that to your work? I don’t have a life philosophy, I am so young still. As for my work, I would say “needs color.”

What’s your favorite thing about photographing individuals?  What do you look for in the people you shoot? I don’t have a favorite thing yet, besides making the subject feel loved and beautiful. You’ll notice when shooting with me, after every shot I either go, “perfect” “beautiful” or, “yes bitch.” I look for unconventional or unique beauty, personal style included, people that may not get “mainstream” love or recognition. People that look like other people bore me. We were all born carrying vibrations so diverse from one another. It’s like, bitch, act like it! You’re so cool on your own.

How does nature influence your photography?  You seem to include a lot of florals into your work, what are your thoughts on flowers? Well, my mind is a manifestation of nature itself, and that’s where my ideas come from, so I am influenced directly. I am nature. I influence myself. Nature flows through me. I don’t really have specific thoughts on flowers, I just find them aesthetically pleasing.

Do you prefer landscape photography over portraits, or vice versa? I wish I had a clue. I’m just doing random shit.

What’s your go-to camera? My only camera, Canon Powershot SX50. It’s not a DSLR but it does the job and for that I’m thankful as fuck.

Do you have any routines you follow through when getting ready for a photography shoot? I’m spontaneous as fuck when it comes to photography, I only do what I feel, I don’t try to come up with ideas, they always come to me, so I just wait. I feel I’m being given them as gifts. Like, for example, I’ll just be walking with friends and an idea will hit me like a brick, and I’ll just say something like, “Wait. Stop. Stand here. Look down and to your left. Move your chin up a bit. Loosen up.” And I’ll position myself to take the photo. Sometimes the idea comes while I’m in the middle of a compromising situation and I have to drop whatever I was doing in order to carry it out. I don’t plan anything except for the day I want to shoot, most of the time not even that. Almost all of my photos are unplanned or candid.

Do you have any planned shoots you’re looking forward to this year that you don’t mind telling us about? I have a few ideas floating around in my head but I’m not sure how to go about them or organize them yet, I would tell you right now if I could make sense of it myself.

What’s a typical day for you? On “weekdays” I wake up, go to high school, go to work, come home, clean, stare into the void of the universe for any type of inspiration, usually don’t get it because I’m thinking about it too much, shower, go to sleep. Start over. On “weekends” I’m showcasing or taking photos, writing music, making DJ mixes, on the internet studying music, studying cultures and subcultures, studying media, studying movements. Studying what I want to study.

Where do you find sanctuary in the rush of the world, where do you find peace? My bed or taking photos or hanging out with people who are nice to me.

What makes you happy? Water, the sun, well-produced beats, being on the same frequency as someone, the fact that I don’t know anything, the fact I’m even alive to say this, myself, loving myself, loving others, good questions, asking questions, french fries, water, Lauryn Hill, the ability to share the earth with all different forms of energy, music, movement, water, things that give me chills, when people are nice to me, when people don’t act “too cool”.

Any closing comments? I’M GOING TO DO THINGS NO ONE THOUGHT I COULD DO, I MEAN I ALREADY AM BUT I AIN’T SHIT STILL, BUT I WILL BE, TUNNEL VISION ON ONE HUNDRED PERCENT, IF YOU BORE ME YOU GETTING CUT OFF, I’M WILDING OUT, I’M DOING ME, I LOVE YOU. Thank you for asking me questions. It’s love.