Meet Roderick Jackson | Photographer

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

Hi Roderick, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
My favorite quote is “Success is not a destination, it’s a journey.” To me it means a subsequent amount, I think about it initially upon starting my day. For a long time, I looked at success as a place in my life to reach, after hearing this quote I realized success is something you obtain on a daily basis. Every day you work towards success and if you end the day by generally working toward the progression of yourself then you’ve reached success. What I like most about it is how it makes people think about what it is to be a success story. I like how it introduces the concept that you never stop working towards success even after obtaining 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.
My art consists of photos, videos, graphics, and documents that capture moments in time to be viewed for future minds to absorb. My versatility and experience have been my strongest attributes more recently. In my initial years, it would have been my creativity. Although I still exude strong creativity, my ability to facilitate any service requiring a camera or photography and my years of dedication to this craft are what sets me apart. I’m most proud of my creative studio/gallery, Cleveland Sky Studios. Throughout my career, I worked for a variety of studios big and small, currently owning my own is a dream come true. I got to where I am today professionally by using patience, being expandable, and having great customer service. This journey has been fun, extensive, rocky, and exciting but not easy. I’ve overcome my adversities by staying steadfast and reliant on the art itself. Lessons are inevitably learned along the journey of success, we all undergo similar lessons, the most notable lesson learned for me would be nothing rushed grows organically. I’d like readers to know ShotsbyRod and Cleveland Sky Studios are has 15 years of experience and talent to offer you.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Say my best friend is coming into town for a week, and the first thing I’m going to do fresh off the plane is take them to get something to eat, whether it be something quick or a sit-down spot, food is priority. After which some live music or a dive bar would be on the menu. Throughout the week we’d visit various museums, galleries, sports events, and restaurants of course. Specifically, I like to fancy Ohio City, Tremont, and Gordon Square. I enjoy the Metro Parks and Cleveland Heights. The Fairmount is a great local restaurant. The Cleveland Breakfast club is a fav for brunch and breakfast. Outside of food, I enjoy live music so that scene would get dbbled into as well.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to give a special shoutout to DJ Eso also known as Vince Manzano. Throughout my career, he has helped progress my current all the while still growing his own. In 2009 my relationship with photography was minuscule until DJ Eso asked me to use his camera to take photos at an event he was DJing at early in his career. I agreed, fulfilled but didn’t return his camera for six months after I purchased my own. During these six months, I practiced photography every day and became a self-titled Photographer. In addition to being a local DJ, Vince also owned a streetwear boutique where I did product photography, held art shows, and facilitated photoshoots unrelated to the boutique. All this support helped me grow and make the decision to further my venture with education so I enrolled and moved away, where Vince visited and continued to utilize my photo talents. After living out of state for 8 years, I moved back to my hometown Cleveland, Ohio, in 2019, this is when our business relationship grew the most which still continues to grow. Shoutout DJ Eso

Website: shotsbyrod.co

Instagram: @shotsbyrod

Twitter: @shotsbyrod

Facebook: @shotsbyrod

Image Credits
Roderick Jackson