The human eye is naturally captivated by things that are beautiful. In those brief breathtaking moments, we pause, admire, and ponder on how to capture those little moments. For photographer Jay Parada, these moments are captured forever and there's no secret to why he's earned his reputation on social media as the 'Sharpxshoota'. In his works, he focuses on catching these raw and candid moments in the world that surrounds him. What we see versus what he can envision in a scene can be different beasts entirely. When Jay sees his shot, his vision for the photograph is completely accentuated by his dire attention for detail, and he is able to captivate and stun his audience with his visual works.
In the past week, I was lucky enough to attend the local Art Hop in Fresno to view some of Jay's photography as well as the pleasure to see him in action behind his camera. When the scene is set, Jay remains fluid and moves like water with his subject snapping as many as twenty or more shots in single minute to capture a single moment to tell a thousand stories.
I took the time to really study and encapsulate myself in many of Jay's works that he as presented locally in Fresno as well as on his social media accounts. One of the very first photos that struck me was of an aerial shot of the inside of an abandoned church. In the scene, the ground is littered with paper, and its walls have been carefully tagged by a series of renegade Michealangelos for their makeshift Sistine Chapel. The embodiment of this photo is absolutely eerie to me. It looks as if a single soul has not knelt in these aisles in almost a decade, and if there was a soul still praying within its halls, its body had long abandoned it to the remains of the church. Jay perfectly captures the desecration of this holy site making it a provocative image to dive in to.
Soon after, my attention was immediately drawn to the a cityscape photo of Downtown Fresno. Anyone who knows Fresno will instantly recognize the long since abandoned Pacific Southwest Building looming over the horizon. The gray sky is chilling and contrasts heavily with the yellow street lights refracting off the buildings below it. The clouds shadow over head as the darkness over takes the day giving this photo a uniquely sinister tone. In this image, Jay encapsulates a distinct feeling of darkness that over takes Downtown Fresno when our eyes are turned away.
In one of Jay Parada's more death defying shots, there is an image of him dangling his feet off the edge of a rooftop in Downtown Los Angeles captioned, “No more excuses.” The idea of staring down at certain death gives a man a fresh perspective on life. Knowing that a single mistake can very well be you last forces you to really think about things. For most people, staring off the edge through another person's eyes is enough to bring about anxiety, but to actually hang off the edge is something many of us would much rather not give the time of day to. In essence, getting to actually know and experience pieces of Jay's life has allowed me to hang off the edge with him. As any aspiring artist knows, doing what you truly love is never easy. For as much pleasure as it brings, it can deliver just as much pain.
In my interview with Jay regarding his passion for photography, he has wholly acknowledged this. In his pursuit to turn his passion into a lifelong career, Jay has faced hardships that would have made any regular man hang up his gear and head home. Even in his darkest days, he was still able to find beauty through the pain and continued to dedicate himself to his work. His sheer will and perseverance in itself is an art, and, although it may be an intangible thing, his inspiration reaches out to many of his fans, followers, friends, and family. Jay explained to me, “Yeah... I've flown above the skies of L.A., scaled fire escapes to get to roof tops for a shot of the sunrise, dangled off the edge of fourteen story high buildings, and, honestly, bro, I put myself in a lot of positions I shouldn't have been in. But, there's nothing I would trade; I just gotta live up to it.” He knows that in his heart, the sacrifices he has made will one day pay off. For Jay Parada, his photography is more than just a simple hobby; for Jay Parada, photography is his lifeline. It doesn't take an artist to see the passion that bleeds from this young man, and it is why he will serve to be an inspiration for countless artists to come.
