"I have to go out and shoot what I want personally as an artist rather than what the public would want."
It’s midday and you’re walking through Commercial Road. It’s perhaps the same sights and shops that you pass every day and your familiarity with these streets has dulled your appreciation for them. Portsmouth photographer Jamie O’Neill is injecting that tired and grey perspective with an undeniable surge of energy, life and colour – such characteristics that would make his work feel at home within a Wes Anderson film. The stories and exuberant characters we so often let pass us by are at the centre of O’Neill’s lens.
O’Neill, otherwise known as joneillj, is a Portsmouth-based photographer and content creator whose photography has helped him amass over 20,000 followers on Instagram alone.
“I'm trying to shine light a bit more on the people here in the city and give it a new perspective for people on the outside that see Portsmouth as one of the worst places to live. I've seen articles on that.”
His most successful project, ‘People in Pompey’, is a series that sees the photographer taking street portraits of people in Portsmouth with his signature cinematic touch.
“There's some really cool characters here in the city,” says O’Neill. “There's some interesting looking people, people with stories as well… I’m trying to go the route of interviewing them more and trying to find more specific stories.”
The appeal of the series is O’Neill’s interaction with these characters, capturing a glimpse into their lives and what they stand for. His portraits of Bleachy, an environmental activist, is perhaps the most poignant instance of this.
(Bleachy's message at the forefront: 'I want you to panic'. Photo: Jamie O'Neill)
“The whole time my anxiety levels are just skyrocketing,” says O’Neill.
“I almost practice what I’m going to say to people,” he continues. “I think most creatives are introverted and it’s pretty tough to interact with anybody”.
He puts the success of the series down to his good judge of character - and a little luck. “The social media stuff, that’s all kind of a guessing game”. It is a game O’Neill is only willing to play to a certain extent, valuing his artistic fulfilment far above chasing internet algorithms.
“I have to go out and shoot what I want personally as an artist, rather than what the public would want”.
Despite the success of the series, he recognises it is unsustainable, a notion coupled with his desire to depart from it. “I’m definitely trying to think of where that’s going to get me in the future,” he says with this strong undercurrent that he has a great deal he needs to prove to himself and others.
Jamie first found his love for photography from the confines of his school environment, one that had very little to offer him. O’Neill says “it didn’t make sense to go onto uni”.
“I wouldn’t say I am very articulate in that way, but that’s also why I went into photography because I express better with that medium”.
His humility somewhat masks his struggle between being a photographer and being able to support himself. Entering the world of freelance straight from college is a feat many artists may shy away from, but O’Neill says “you just have to believe in it and stick it out”.
“I have a creative mind which doesn’t do well in a normal environment”.
In 2021, O’Neill snuck his way into the photo pit at Victorious Festival, right in front of Nile Rodgers & Chic during their headline slot on the Castle Stage. It was a move that resulted in some of his favourite work, demonstrating his natural ability to perfectly capture a moment - even with seconds to prepare.
(Nile Rodgers & Chic on the castle stage at Victorious Festival 2021. Photo: Jamie O'Neill)
The photos both encapsulate the craftsmanship on stage and also the joy that radiates from Chic’s music. The images are soft and heavenly, with enough lens flares on them to trick your eyes into thinking you were watching an old ‘70s Top of the Pops rerun.
“That was a cool moment,” he says, with infuriating calmness. “The following year I was able to use those photos… and actually get on stage and shoot some pretty big names,” like Bastille and Sam Ryder.
The seemingly unfazed O’Neill is more concerned with the quality of his photos as his top priority; “you need to be able to take a good photo without it being a celebrity first”.
O’Neill’s process is deceptively simple despite the experimentation and sophisticated look he has come to adopt. “I use a [Canon] 6D MKII with a 35mm lens” and industry-standard software Adobe Lightroom to edit the images.
It is nothing unobtainable for a beginner as O’Neill himself is almost entirely self-taught. It is how O’Neill manipulates his set-up that sets him apart, experimenting with exposure and depth of field to seamlessly illustrate the vision that is in his head.
When the vision in O’Neill’s head looks as good as it does, it’s easy to understand why he prefers to let the photos do the talking for him.
(Photo: Jamie O'Neill)
