This November, we’re all about celebrating what we’re thankful for. And on this #thankfulthursday, we’re thankful for the terrifically talented photographer Jason Risner!

Jason got his photography career started 10 years ago shooting chickens for Peeler Farms and now he’s already risen to the top of many agencies’ lists. But before he was a photographer, Jason started his creative career in advertising and publishing as an art director and designer and at 39, he decided to make the change to become a full time commercial photographer. He has worked with all kinds of interesting clients, from upscale hotels to Texas farms. His photos are a step above the rest and bring his projects to the next level.

We recently worked with Jason for a Visit Plano shoot and he was a blast to work with. Come see why we’re glad to know Jason Risner in this #thankfulthursday post.

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR ART AND HOW YOU GOT INVOLVED WITH COMMERCIAL WORK AND PHOTOGRAPHY?

I was a designer and creative director for advertising and publishing companies for years. Then I got into a home building business and bought a camera to photograph the homes. After moving on from that business, I was looking for something new to do and I got really interested in the possibility of being a commercial photographer. I shut down everything I was doing and for three years I taught myself how to use a camera. I decided I want to get out of the office and use my design experience to build on something new that I had never done before. I knew nothing about photography. Everyone around me was wondering what I was doing. I was 39 years old and just decided to make a switch.

WHAT WAS A PIVOTAL MOMENT IN YOUR CAREER?

I met Marianna Peeler of Peeler Farms and she was raising natural chickens and farming eggs to sell to the growing crossfit community in San Antonio. She asked me to go out to their ranch to photograph her and her chickens and I was trying to figure out how to make these chickens look really cool. I ended up doing that and she wrote me a check for $2,500 and that was the first money anyone had given me in the three years of doing photography.

A few months had gone by and I had forgotten all about it and one of the bigger agencies here in town gave me a phone call to come meet with them. When I showed up there were all of these beautiful photographs of chickens and eggs all posted all over the conference room. It took me a couple minutes to realize they were my photos because I didn't know how they had gotten them.

So the owner and head designer of the firm Jill Giles came in and we had a meeting. She was coincidentally helping Marianna with branding and a new website and they wanted me to bid on three shoots for other clients they were working with. I told her how I was just learning to become a photographer and I would do the shoots and if they were happy and the client was happy they could pay me whatever they thought was fair. They were blown away by that approach and we did those three jobs and they were a success. That agency kept me busy for about three years after that happened and helped me really launch my business to where it is today.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE SHOOT TO WORK ON?

I like everything Texas. I love shooting out on ranches. One of my early shoots that I did was out in West Texas for a large feed company called Palmer Feed. I got to meet some really authentic, old ranchers and cowboys who had been doing it their whole lives and generationally. Photographing them and getting to know them and hearing their stories. The rawness and the texture that those kind of projects bring are the most satisfying to me. I love shooting everything but if I had my druthers we'd always be shooting out on ranches or out in the dusty hill country with guys and gals on horses.

WHAT IS ONE OF THE PROUDEST MOMENTS IN YOUR CAREER SO FAR?

I've only been doing this for 10 years. I don't know if there is one singular proud moment. One of the first times I felt good about what I was doing is when I was driving through Dallas, about 5 hours away from where we live and seeing billboards with our photographs. Then the next week I was in Houston and saw another billboard with our photograph. Now every time we are driving around the state, or flipping through magazines, or scrolling on Instagram we see our photos. And it's not just that it's our photography, but helping these businesses make money and put food on the table for them and their families is why we all do this.

Photo by Jason Risner for Fredericksburg, TX

WHAT ARE SOME OTHER THINGS YOU ENJOY WHEN YOU AREN’T ON SET?

I enjoy sitting right here at my favorite wine store having a glass of wine, smoking a cigar, meeting other people and learning about their lives and what they like to do. We love going down to the coast with friends and family, just relaxing and soaking that in. I like old cars and going to car shows. I like getting on my motorcycle and heading out to the hill country to clear my mind.

Photo by Jason Risner for The Gage Hotel

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT BEING ON SET?

Getting to know the folks we are shooting and creating those relationships. The photography is a given and that is going to be good. But there is so much more about taking a good photograph and for me that's getting to know them real quick, opening myself up to them immediately so they can feel as comfortable as possible, like we're old friends. I think we do that pretty well.

WHAT DOES #PONYUP MEAN TO YOU?

I've always kind of lived a pretty unique life. I've always been myself. My friends actually coined the phrase #RisnerUp. They even made some hats at one time and my daughter and her friends later picked up on it. So #PonyUp fits right in with who I am and to me it means live your life, be authentic, bring everything you got.

WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING ON?

We have all of our upcoming commercial projects including a trip down to Port Aransas to shoot some lifestyle photography, coincidentally where we met Stacy. We're then going to Austin to do some water and boating photography. Then going out to Fredericksburg to shoot some lifestyle and astral photography, we'll be blending some long-exposure night skies with lifestyle scenes so that will be interesting and fun. We've been upgrading our truck, our old gray beast. We're also in the process of launching an art site for Texas art photography, selling framed prints that people can hang on their walls.

WHAT IS ONE THING YOUR FANS MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU?

That's a hard one because I am a giant open book. The things they don't know about me I don't know if they wanna know! I have lived my life the same every day, good or bad everyone knows who I am. And I think I'm living a good life. One thing my kids make fun of me for is that I watch The Voice. That's my guilty pleasure. I don't really tell people that.

WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU PROVIDE FOR FUTURE PHOTOGRAPHER?

Be a good photographer first of all. But to me, being a people person and being genuine is important. Let people know who you are. And then, for commercial photography, learning about business and branding and being able to walk in and help your clients sell their products and services. There are so many things going on and you need to be able to focus on the right things. My advertising background has helped me so much. But in general, be a good person, be kind, be on time, be open, be respectful. All the things you're supposed to be as a human applies to photography.

Check out Jason in action:

Website: Jason Risner

Instagram: @Jason_Risner_Photography

Facebook: @RisnerPhoto

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