We had the good fortune of connecting with Jackson Randall and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jackson, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I will never forget the day I decided to get out of my comfort zone. I picked up the camera and went to a public sporting event in my area (Battle At The Rock). In fact, 19 year old me, who was fully capable of driving, and had been driving for some years at that point… had my dad drop me off, due to gut wrenching nerves. Terrified to introduce myself to other creators, ask questions, or even ask for help. From that day forward, I slowly, but surely got out of my comfort zone, one day at a time. As I continued to peruse this passion of mine, I made myself vulnerable… branched out, asked questions, made friends with other creatives, so on and so forth… then things began to flourish. So take that risk, Be a sponge. For the seasoned creators, be the one to plant the seed in someone else, speak to those who look uneasy or nervous… because you were once in their shoes. Everyone has their first day, just like I did. You never know what could come from such a simple gesture. Just do it.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I feel that people always talk about their great moments, I would like to take the time to shine light on some of the not so great things. In any profession, when you start out… you are at the bottom of the barrel. I think living in the internet age, comparison is the biggest thief of joy. This is something I struggle with to this day… no amount of likes, comments, accolades or accomplishments will fulfill you until you learn to take a step back, see how far you’ve come, and appreciate your work. Their will always be some form of doubt. I want to shed light on this because… your favorite creator, photographer, videographer deals with this as well. Also, It will be very sporadic at times, some weeks you might have work, others you might not. You have to keep pushing, post your work. Nobody knows what your work looks like if its hiding in your camera roll. Aside from that. I feel something that sets me apart is that I do not try to set myself apart from other artist, I shoot what I like. I used to try to mimic others work, but, you are your own artist… I came to realization, that does not work. Now I shoot with a purpose, I look for those moments. The photo that your family will have hung in the house for generations to see. I really just let the moment come to me. One of the biggest tips I could give other artist is to just be a sponge. There is always someone with more experience, more knowledge, so soak it up.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Unfortunately I can not put anybody on game just yet. I am green to Charleston, South Carolina. I recently moved from Charlotte, NC. I will say that the majority of food spots in downtown Charleston will leave you very satisfied. There is a good mix between fine dining spots and the hidden gems that wont hurt your pockets as much. I had Shrimp and grits for the first time a few weeks ago, I must say they were not lying about that being a delicacy. I was very impressed. Depending on the friend and what the vibe was for the night. I would either take them downtown for the nightlife, drinks, and food or I would go more remote and take them toward Kiawah Island, back roads with giant live oaks, and go fishing in the marsh. You get the best of both worlds here. If i was in Charlotte still, I could put you on game, but, heres to a new chapter in my life.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would love this opportunity to shoutout my parents… first and foremost, without them, I would not be where I am today. I know that sounds super cliche, but, it’s only the truth. They have been my biggest support system throughout this entire journey… if thats what you want to call it. Being a dual sport athlete since I could walk, would later transition into high school. The two of them spent countless hours at the ballfields during the weekends, Thousands of miles put on their cars, Friday nights under the lights. The list goes on and on, they would give the shirt off of their back in order to make their “baby” happy. Mom… I am 24 now, lol. They have always put me first. For that I will be forever grateful… all of the times they sacrificed for me, and put themselves last, to make me a priority. When I decided to hang the cleats up after high school and decided to peruse creative media, I know they were iffy, but, they still chose to support me anyway. Go give your loved ones a hug, let your people know you love them!

Website: https://shotbyran.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j_randall__/

Other: TikTok: J_randall_

Image Credits
Gamecockcentral on any College Basketball photos.

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutSouthCarolina is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.