Jess Sørensen
Conservation & Humanitarian Photographer
Animal lover, climber, diver, adrenaline junkie at heart
Follow: IG: @jesssorensen / jesssorensenphotography.com
Born and Raised: I'm a tossup between San Diego CA, and a very small town in the Rocky Mountains of BC called Windermere. I'm incredibly fortunate to have had my upbringing divided between 2 beautiful places. San Diego teaching me the ways of the beach and best fish tacos, and BC with all its mountains and never-ending trees.
Living: Currently living in the lively city of NYC
What inspires you?: I'm constantly inspired by culture and the natural world. I'm drawn to photograph places like underwater caves, to unheard of villages in Nepal as a way of not just seeing something new for myself, but sharing a place that not a lot of people have the opportunities to see. This planet has an estimated 7.046 billion people living on it, all with different backgrounds, songs, foods, dress, and stories passed down through generations. That's billions of conversations to be had, perspectives to learn, homes to see, and faces to be inspired by. We all share this planet so I feel we should spend more time exploring and understanding it. That in itself is the biggest inspiration.
Favorite Gear to travel with: My underwater housing from Outtex, Gearbox to house all my images on the go, and my workhorse of a camera, the Canon 5D Mark III. I named it "the beast" as its heavy, and sometimes a pain to carry on shoots that require a lot of trekking, but we've been through it all.
Favorite Travel Destination: Oh this is a tough one. I'm going to give 2 as 1 place is never enough. First would be this very small town in Uganda called Bwindi, it rests just outside the impenetrable forest national park. Bwindi is home to the most gracious and smiley people, rolling hills of tea farms, tilapia that I'm getting hungry just thinking about, and some very very good coffee. Secondly would be Mexico City. I have never been to a place so vibrant and full of life as Mexico city. The people will open their homes and are proud to share a meal with someone new. The streets are buzzing with music and art. Not to mention the architecture. Mexico city has a beautiful way of maintaining its older buildings and filling the inside with something entirely different.
Elements for growth: Growth should be a constant thing for every person. I try to push myself out of my comfort zone in one big way at least once a month, whether it be trying a new food, pushing myself to attempt a dino at the rock gym, or even just forwardly putting myself out there as a photographer when trying to land a shoot. You never know what you might miss unless you try it.
Dream Destination: The North and South poles are high on my current list. Its been a dream to photograph narwals and polar bears in their native environments.
Who would win a fight between Spiderman and Batman?: Spiderman 100%, I'm a fan of the bat, but wealth can only get you so far until the powers kick in. Its the true inner drive and power that makes a person great I think. Plus the nerdy underdog who gets a big shot to help people is a plot line id always support.
Couldn’t live without : Coffee, Chapstick, and bug repellent. No matter where I am in the world mosquitos will find me. Maybe that's my superpower, Mosquito Magnet.
Favorite Kind of Day: Rainy days have always seemed to showcase a kind of magic. There's something to be said for mother natures way of washing all the leaves, and making everything still and sparkly again.
Nomadic Coffee Favorite: Organic Peru
