Evan Jones (b. 1988, Michigan) is a Santa Cruz based photographer and graduate of BA Film & Video from Columbia College Chicago and an MSW from the University of Tennessee. He currently works as a social worker at the Homeless Garden Project in Santa Cruz.
My interest in photography stems from an innate need to connect to my environment and community in a creative way. Having moved from Chicago to Botswana, then from Nashville to Santa Cruz, my photos allow me to interrogate my newfound surroundings and familiarize myself with the people that inhabit them.
As a social worker with a background in photography and film, my goal is to call upon both of these disciplines to work with and integrate myself within communities – celebrating successes and processing challenges together – in spaces that are rich with creativity and self-expression, and yet often overlooked. Photography affords me a medium for self reflection and the opportunity to craft a journal with my camera.
Using chance as a catalyst for creativity and using the lens to observe intimate and unfolding actions, I aim for my works to capture and make sense of the relationship between people, place and self. I am particularly inspired by the ephemerality and simplicity of these moments, which whilst fleeting, help to solidify my sense of belonging. Through this process of personal photo journaling, I find a deeper connection to and a sense of empathy for my community, the opportunity for introspection, and a profound understanding of the potentiality that emanates from these three facets working in union.
evan jones, msw 