Why I Love Optics: Curtis Jones, Outdoor Photographer

Curtis Jones is an acclaimed photographer and storyteller from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, known for his expertise in capturing the stark beauty of isolated and challenging environments worldwide. His adventures have led him across the icy landscapes of Greenland and Antarctica to the expansive Gobi Desert. Teaming up with adventure athletes, production companies, local communities, and tourism agencies, he has worked with brands such as National Geographic, Creative Live, Elinchrom, F-stop Gear, Offbeat Photography, and Intrepid Travel. 

As an experienced photography and polar guide, Curtis leads workshops that help guests see the world, explore a little further, and grow a little more with each trip. Follow him on Instagram and subscribe to his YouTube channel.

What inspired you to get into photography?

I believe it was the desire to account for the moments I was spending outside exploring new things and new activities with my friends while I was finishing up my University degree. I was rock climbing and camping every spare second I could sneak away from my studies, and I realized that I loved documenting these mini adventures as much as I loved participating. I’ve always felt like a bit of a fly on the wall. I love to just sit and listen to others' experiences. Photography was a bridge for me in that regard. 

Your photos offer stunning glimpses into the beauty of the natural world. What is your overall process, from the ideation to the shoot to the finished images? 

Well, thank you. The simple answer is that my overall process is evolving. At different times in my career, the process focused more on tangible targets. Early on, if I wanted to get more tourism gigs, I would plan and execute a trip and pitch that to prospective clients as work I could do for them. I was aiming to be more commercial. But, this wasn’t lasting. I slowly started to see how letting the stories, the culture, and the locations lead the process resulted in work I was happier sharing and work that was closer to my experience. Currently, I would say that my process is less structured and more flexible. There is always a loose framework or a playbook that I can count on if I am stuck or nothing seems to be working in the moment. But, ideally, I try to trust that the images and flow will land if I am patient and prepared. I get far too anxious if I feel like my vision or expectations are too rigid. 

What type of photo editing/manipulation tasks do you look to a plugin like Optics to help with? Do you use Optics in Photoshop only? Lightroom? Standalone?

I’m often looking for minimal processing. But, I do love applying and learning how to create more cinematic color grades for my images. Especially for my personal work, I love exploring how a location or portrait feels, how I remember the moment vs how it literally was at the time of capture. Through the edit, I am learning this often comes down to color for me. Optics has been an eye-opener for me in this area. My usual workflow is to complete basic edits in Lightroom and then open in Optics to apply some color magic. 

Which Optics effects do you like most — and why?

As I mentioned above, I have been using the color grading options a lot. I’ve also been getting more into the atmospheric filters like fog or mist when I want to give my images a little more of what was there but I didn’t quite capture it at the moment. Recently I have been experimenting with film damage and EZ masking to create older styled wet plate portraits.

How do you find the locations you shoot? How much research goes into it beforehand?

It varies, but I am generally a huge advocate for scouting trips, planning, and storyboards. I’m rarely drawn to a location based on a specific photo. Often, it comes down to what sort of trip it will be. Who’s going? Camping or Hotels? How isolated or remote? What are the expected deliverables? Who is the client, if any? All of this and more will determine how much I research. If it’s a guided photography trip that I am leading, I’ll make sure the research includes things relevant to the guests. If it’s a personal trip, sometimes I love showing up with less preparation and just letting the location and the stories find me. If possible, I will always visit locations more than once and in as many different weather and lighting scenarios as possible.

If your budget was limitless, what would your ultimate shoot look like? 

That’s a hard one. I’d say a tall ship (with crew willing to teach me to sail) and a loose plan to sail anywhere or everywhere with a revolving door of friends, family, and pets documenting the landscapes, lives, and stories of as many folks as I could convince to share a meal with me.

What are your top 3 reasons why photographers like yourself should use Optics?

To expand your creative potential. To hone your unique vision. To have fun and play.

What’s your best pro tip to artists new to Optics? 

Start small. Try to focus on one area of the program. Be patient and set aside some personal editing time. Nothing with strict deadlines. The more you allow yourself to experiment and have fun with it, the smoother it goes. Also, look for help online. Tutorials, blogs, educational resources, and websites can be your best friend when learning new tools.

What’s your favorite project or image you’ve ever worked on — and why?

Favourite image or project ever? That’s impossible to say. I am extremely proud of the work that I have been part of in the Canadian Arctic, working with local organizations and communities to document and preserve traditional practices and build new sustainable economies.

Favourite project with Optics? As I am still getting familiar with the program, I have not used it as consistently for project work as I would like. I have started to re-edit some of my iceberg and polar landscapes using the color grading tools in Optics to create versions that look more like how the moments felt. More in line with how I remember them. And I remember them like stills from a movie. So that is where I’ve been messing around the most.