Meet the Artist: Jonathan McWhorter
- Where’d it all start?
In college, I was studying engineering, and around the same time, I happened to pick up a camera for the first time. I went to a race with friends and really made an effort to try and take “good” photos, something that would be different than what the guy next to me might get. I had a 16MB memory card on a borrowed camera and had to be VERY deliberate with my keepers. I really enjoyed being creative, and at the same time realized that I didn’t want engineering to be the rest of my life. Without much of an idea on *how*, I decided that summer to pursue photography and leave the engineering to someone else.
- Favorite photo you've taken and why?
It might sound like a cop-out, but I’m answering via text so I can answer how I want to. When I think of a favorite photo, it’s hard to land on one, but the ones I always go back to are photos of my family or people that I care about.
- Where do you want to shoot next?
The 24 Hours of Le Mans - I’ve always enjoyed racing. That is what got me into photography. To follow a team at one of the toughest races in the world would be a dream. I tend to look for the intimacy in things- the little moments. I love the challenge of taking something so epic and legendary like the 24 Hours of Le Mans and finding the intimate/small moments.
- Craziest moment you've had while shooting or traveling for a shoot?
In early 2020, right before everything was shut down, I made a last-minute decision to go shoot the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona. I made the decision days before the race and I drove down to Florida from Atlanta overnight for the start of the race. I slept in my car and shot as much of the race as I possibly could over the next 24 hours, then turned around and drove back home after it was all done! I ended up producing what I feel like is one of my most comprehensive bodies of work to this point.
- Favorite photographer or artistic inspiration?
Andreas Gursky. Geometry and shapes in photography resonate pretty strongly with me. He was one of the first photographers I had seen that pushed this to an extreme, and since then I’ve taken a lot of notice of shapes and lines in my own work.
- Favorite book, TV show, or movie from the past year?
Ted Lasso! I don’t watch a whole lot of TV, but every now and then something will get its hooks in me. Ted Lasso, the main character (spoiler) quickly became one of my all-time favorite characters.
- Last meal on earth? (food, setting, people, etc.)
Cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, onion, mustard, light on the Mayo, and TOASTED BUNS. @ me about it and we can have a conversation about why you’re wrong. Also, I’d be grilling myself. Something about standing next to a grill holding a beer is irreplaceable. It is *so* choice, if you have the means, I highly recommend it. And of course, surrounded by the people that I care about.