About
Jon Downs – a Suffolk based photographer
I heard this quote about me – just love it:
“I could never book a model judging by Jon Downs’ pictures. I can’t tell who the f*ck it is. It could be someone with a wooden leg and you’d never know”
Anon (Photographer)
Photo: Laura Minter-Goodchild
I’d used cameras most of my life, but never really considered it an artistic outlet until 2010, at a time when my hearing was changing – something I’m fairly pragmatic about – and my years of playing guitar and keyboards were naturally drawing to a close. It felt like the start of a new creative chapter. The transition was natural – I was inspired quickly by the work I was seeing online – and before long I found myself making images simply because it felt good to be creative again.
In the early days I wasn’t shooting portraits or fine-art work at all. I was experimenting with abstracts, bits of street photography, landscapes, and quite a lot of tabletop work – simple setups with shapes, shadows and textures – but also quite experimental. I was learning my craft. I still dip into that occasionally, but it played a much bigger role at the start and taught me to slow down, look properly and really pay attention to light.
Portraits came later. Around 2013, a camera club I was part of at the time set a competition with the theme “fine art nude”. I’d never tried anything in that direction before, but giving it a go opened up a whole new side of photography for me. That challenge nudged me towards portrait and creative figure work, and those genres gradually became central to what I do now. That moment genuinely shaped the path my work took.
My photography has stayed varied ever since – portraits, abstracts, street pieces, coastal work and the occasional experiment that doesn’t fit neatly into any category. I’ve never chased a fixed “signature style”; I prefer letting things evolve and following whatever feels interesting, even though certain themes and approaches have naturally developed over time. And the truth is, I’ve never tired of photography – there’s always something new to learn, whether it’s a technique, a different approach or even a shift in mindset. There’s always inspiration out there.
Over the years I’ve supported and tutored hundreds of photographers through workshops, 1-to-1 sessions and photo walks – covering portraiture, lighting, post-processing and creative techniques. I also put a lot of focus on mindset – simple methods and exercises that help people stay open, think more freely and move past the unconscious boundaries that can quietly hold creativity back.
My photography has been exhibited multiple times, including a joint exhibition with fellow photographer Mike Howlett, and seeing photographs printed and displayed in a physical space still means a lot to me; it slows everything down and gives the work room to breathe. My work has also been published from time to time, and I’ve been interviewed in various places over the years – online, on a podcast and on local radio. One of those features was a Fotoblur Photographer Interview published on 22 November 2013, which focused on the creative side of my early work. One of my later interviews was a podcast discussing how I use Instagram as a photographer. It was recorded several years after the Fotoblur feature and is still available on Spotify here.
I spent many years based in Milton Keynes in the UK, which made it easy to travel and shoot all over the country. These days I’m in Felixstowe on the beautiful Suffolk coast, and the light and space here have naturally seeped into my photography. The friendliness, atmosphere, sense of community and pace of the place have also influenced what I shoot without me consciously steering it.
My work has appeared on platforms like Flickr, 500px, PurplePort and the sadly now defunct Fotoblur. They’ve been part of the journey and helped me connect with other photographers along the way.
Now I work semi-professionally, taking on selected projects, shoots, occasional tutorials and small presentations. I’ve always preferred working with smaller groups – it keeps things friendly, personal and far more effective for learning.
For me, photography still feels like an ongoing process rather than something with an end goal, and I’m more than happy for it to stay that way. I like knowing there’s always another technique, perspective or idea to explore, another source of inspiration – however abstract – and that steady sense of learning is a big part of what keeps me engaged and wanting to keep improving.
More of my work lives on here on jondowns.com and on Instagram at @jon_downs, @jon_downs_photography, and @photographing_not_waving.