Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Langheine.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My interest in photography started in high school where I took a film photography class. We learned the basics of exposure and also how to develop film in a darkroom. My big takeaway was that, while it taught me to appreciate craft in general and investing the patience and focus into creating things, I actually didn’t like the more tedious steps to film photography, especially the smell of the chemicals! After graduating, I drifted away from the hobby. Later when my wife and I were looking for a wedding photographer I found digital cameras were good enough to get great results. With my first DSLR, all of the things I didn’t like about photography were gone and all that remained were the aspects I enjoyed.
I brushed off my skills and discovered a real interest in still life photography. I built up a portfolio and landed a job as the in-house product photographer for a home decor company in Lancaster, PA, where I shot for over 7 years. Throughout that time I soaked up as much education as I could – taking workshops, watching tutorials, booking one-on-one mentorships, and hours of YouTube.
After working with different local studios on product and food photography, I began freelancing under Jason Langheine Images to serve portraits and branding photography. Recently, I created a new brand called Semaphor Labs in order to serve product and food clients. With Semaphor Labs, I can focus on visual development for home goods and CPG clients. I have expanded there into video and even trade show support for new brands. It’s very exciting!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
From listening to other creatives and my heroes, it’s been refreshing to hear that my struggles aren’t uncommon. It’s helpful to know others have overcome the same obstacles I’ve faced. So no it hasn’t been smooth, but I’m grateful to for this work.
The biggest struggle is definitely the business side of things. I’m not naturally interested in entrepreneurship. One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that the successful studios I admire are teams, not just one photographer. Even in the studios I’ve worked for, the load was divided across team members who were dedicated to their piece of the pie. It’s through that division of labor that we’re able to make the best work. Those teams include account managers, sales people, bookkeepers, etc. Don’t try to take everything on yourself. There are experts out there to team up with.
Other struggles would be pricing and licensing, but there’s plenty of shop talk to find among other creatives that I learn from.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Semaphor Labs is a production studio and creative agency focused on marketing visuals for product and CPG clients. So mostly product photography and video, but also package design, product launch, trade show booths, and websites. We make it easy to craft a great visual presence for products.
Clients tell me what sets me apart is that I’m passionate about photography. I’m just really into what I do and a big fan of this whole genre of photography. I love set design and examining texture and form and color. I’m happiest in the studio making things for hours and getting it just right. The best is really seeing an image have the impact we were going for in the studio.
And then Jason Langheine Images is my portrait-based work. Headshots, portraits, personal branding, pets. Portrait work feels like cross-training for me. It’s a different kind of fun and creativity. There’s definitely some cross-pollination of ideas with the product work. Again, the main goal is working towards creating a certain impression and impact with the final result.
I’m most proud of repeat clients. I’m grateful to receive their trust and appreciation.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
One of my greatest sources of inspiration and advice is interviews with directors, writers, actors, photographers, producers, DJ’s, musicians, etc. You find that everyone is pretty much solving the same problems you are. Some good interviews can be found on People I Mostly Admire, The Questlove Show, The Interview (from NYT), and Pillarboxer (YouTube).
There are lots of photography-specific podcasts to check out. The trick there is to stick to the ones by working photographers, not influencers. Photo Dump and The Photo Banter are two I really like.
I strongly recommend other photographers to buy photo books. Not instructional books, but rather the art books of photos put out by other photographers. Study them. Check out Graphis. Every year they release the Photography Annual. In it you’ll find some of the world’s best commercial photography from the year in beautiful print. You can often get the previous year’s edition at a great discount also. Highly worth it. And the best thing about books is no ads!
Similarly is the AI-AP annual books of outstanding photography.
Irving Penn’s work is available in several books. Jesse Dittmar’s portrait book “Overexposed” is fantastic.
The two accounts every commercial photographer should be following: @aphotoeditor and @asksternrep
Pricing:
- Your annual CODB
- + (goal annual income)
- divided by how many days you want to work per year
- = your day rate
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.semaphorlabs.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonlangheine/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/semaphor-labs/
- Other: https://www.jasonlangheine.com/
