Jarryd Tiltman | Freelance Photographer

Tell me about yourself, who are you and where you come from?
 I am professional photographer, creative, adventurist, enthusiast and a dreamer. I am originally from a small town in KwaZulu Natal, now currently residing in Cape Town.

How did you get to where you are today? What has been your career path?
I got to where i am today by lot of dedication, hard work, people who believed in me and by always having an eye for the beauty that is all around us on a daily basis.

How did you figure out what you wanted to do creatively?
Many years ago i was an assistant for a very successful international car photographer and since then i picked up tips and tricks then decided i had chosen my career.

How did you learn to do what you do as a photographer?
I started off by giving out a lot of free photography shoots to keep myself busy and to extend my skills for future work and to add i started working for a model agency where it gave me the knowledge & confidence to build a studio, my portfolio and to work with all kinds of people of all ages and sizes local and international. I have always had the ethics to work under all circumstances.

Where do you get inspiration?
I get my inspiration from reading a lot and learning new things in the industry from amazing creatives and major entrepreneurs all around the world who have also inspired me.

How do you define success?
I define success by having perseverance, never giving up, working not just hard but smart and literally giving it all you have, learning from mistakes and most importantly believing in yourself.

Any interesting stories about the work you've done or an experience you've had?
I would say one of the interesting stories i could tell is that i photographed for SKA- Square Kilometer Arrays in the Karoo. It was my first moment of doing an astronomical photograph, planes landing and having the opportunity standing next to the satellites that are the only ones in the southern hemisphere and are not open to the public.

Any Advice for someone interested in following in your path? 
My advice to someone who is following my path. I would say do not jump the gun when it comes to your work, rather wait and build yourself till you fully expose your talents & skill sets .I have seen many fall because of not having patience and being over eager, you will ruin your name and possibly future work.

What is the best advice you've ever received? 
Best advice i have ever received is never give up, keep dreaming for one day all efforts will have its achievements, time is of the essence for everything.

Jarryd is currently off to Southeast Asia - Bali Indonesia to peruse one of his dreams of traveling and will be shooting his first  short documentary video and has plans to market the content to international travel agencies around the globe.