G O L D E N S E N S E.: Meet: Dex R. Jones of SirReal Photography.

I became recognized with photographer Dex R. Jones of Sir-Real Photography during the summer of 2011 due to a photograph of my friend RipMC. I'm a fan of great photography so I took it upon myself to find more of his work, which I did and just fell in love with the aesthetic of all the photos he created. I got the chance to have a little Q&A with Mr. Jones to get a feel of who he is and why he do what he does. Check it out below.

Photo by Nneka Salmon

How old are you?

As of January this year, I turned 25.

When did you get seriously involved in photography and what sparked your interest?

Photography was always something that I admired. Growing up it was just one of those things that I wanted try or that I felt like I would be good at. But it wasn't until I got to college and took a couple of photography courses, did I actually have a legitimate excuse to get a camera and I had to be good with it otherwise I was going to fail. [laughs] But the funny and I guess ironic thing is that I wasn't good. At least on paper I wasn't. I don't think I ever got an A on any assignments. So I barely passed those classes as I did normally in school. I never consistently excelled. I always had very high highs and low lows but that's besides the point. Once I left those classes, in spite of my grades I still has this desire and passion for taking pictures. I just loved art honestly, and as long as I had the vehicle to continue practicing a new art that's what I was going to do. And now I am where I am: a young photographer. I still have a long journey ahead of me with plenty to learn.

MoRuf

Who or What do you draw inspiration from?

I surprisingly don't get that much visual inspiration. I get Inspiration from the lifestyles and stories of young artist and prodigies before me like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Dave Chappelle for example. They showed so much promise from a very young age and are a reminding example that you can make it while being true to yourself and uncompromising. I can identify with their stories being that I'm young among a number of older artist.

Jean-Michel Basquiat & Dave Chappelle

What are 3 words that you would use to describe your style of photography?

This is probably corny but my work actually is a bit SURREAL to me. My work is hardly ever real, in the sense that I don't do much "documentarian" work. But I still want my work and art to feel real to the audience. I want you to be apart of the story. I want you create your own stories out of your interpretation of the image. I don't really want people to just look at an amazing photo and then just move on to the next one. I like to do things that will really penetrate. My work is also very SIMPLE. Or at least as simple as it can be in this digital age. There's not a lot of smoke and mirrors behind it. Most times it's just me, my models, my simple old camera and the sun in the sky. It's not a lot to work with but we've been working well together so far. I've done the whole studio thing with white backgrounds and studio lights but I usually find it unnecessary. I have a number of images that people actually think I shot in studio with major equipment when but it's just in a bedroom or outside somewhere. [laughs] Last but not least my work is PASSIONATE. I really believe that when you look at my work you get the idea that I am someone who loves what I do and thinks about what I do constantly. This is fun for me but it's not only fun. I take it very seriously.

RIPMC

What is your favorite photograph you've ever taken?

You've gotta understand that that question is like asking me to choose my favorite child. These photos are my babies. [laugh] That said, I'm gonna go with this one simply because I recently had a conversation about it with a friend of mine at a party. It's a nude photo of a woman with....
stretch marks on her rear kneeling on a staircase. My friend told me that she loved that photo because the stretch marks were similar to the marks on the wood staircase. It was funny to me because I hadn't consciously noticed that until she told me. Then she got into this whole deeper thing about stretch marks being a sign of age and/or wisdom. And that trees have marks on the wood that indicate their age as well which is true. But that's what I love. I love that someone can see something so beautiful and thoughtful that I didn't see. I was too busy looking at the composition and the color to notice. But y'know, that's how I shoot. I shoot with a very deep unintentionalism. All I know is that this photo is gonna mean SOMETHING to SOMEBODY but I never know what. It's great when people tell me. Just so happens with this photo, someone told me.

What is one song that you feel very connected to and why?

[laughs] I thought I was gonna have a hard time answering that question too but the answer came to me much quicker than I thought it would. I think I have a connection with Pursuit of Happiness by Kid Cudi because I am just that; on the pursuit. And working tirelessly until I get there. But there's also a sense to the song that life is fucked up. It has a bunch of trials and night-terrors but I'm still in pursuit of something and "I'll be fine once I get it". I very much identify with struggle and hope. It's like you can't have one without the other.

Do you have any secret talents besides your great photography?

I have a few actually. I'm no stranger to playing the piano and singing. But by no means am I a pianist or a singer so I don't advertise those talents too much. But I do them well enough to surprise a few people. Acting is to me now what photography was to me just a few years ago. It's one of those things that I have great admiration for and would love to do. I've acted in a music video for Pharoah Monch and a couple independent films but that's it. I'd love to do more of it but I guess I'm waiting for that definitive sign from the universe.

What keeps you pushing forward?

You don't need anything more than talent, a dream and passion, man. Once you've got those things you'll just keep going until you die.

What comes to mind when you hear the word GoldenSense?

GoldenSense is simply a sense of self-worth or even a sense of worth in general. It's like now-a-days you gotta be one of those appraisers on the Antique Roadshow. You gotta be able to tell when someone is coming to you with a dime a dozen piece of crap and when they're coming to you with a fortune. But quite honestly everyone is sitting on a gold-mine but way too many people are unaware of it. Instead they devote all there attention to what shines. Like the song says, "Everything that shines ain't always gonna be gold."

So... I felt the need to feature another photograph by Dex R. Jones which is personally amongst my favorite shots taken my him and a part of his most recent project " Black|Gold" that he's in the process of finishing.