Artist Interview - Jos & Tree

Artist Interview - Jos & Tree

Known for their endless positivity, extraordinary technical skills, and distinctive way of seeing the world, Jos & Tree travel all over photographing weddings and special events and wowing their clients with their work. Read on, you don’t want to miss their photos or their insights on life and photography.

Blair: Hello, I am so glad I got to see you both at WPPI before the quarantine. How have you been doing since then?

Tree:
Oddly, we had been asking for a break from all the busyness. We didn’t ask for this, but we are finding more hours in the day for what we’ve been missing. More yoga, more space, more quiet time together. In some ways, it’s a beautiful reset.

Jos: Yes, it’s a bit like being the eye of a storm. Knowing there will be a whirlwind ahead but taking the time to look at what is for right now. I will remember this time for the rest of my life.

Father sees bride and bursts into tears - photo by Jos & Tree
Father bursts into tears to see his daughter as a bride - photographed by Jos & Tree

Blair: Can you tell us a little bit about what drew you to photography and how those early days influenced your work?

Jos: 

I studied the classical traditions of rhetorical and communication in college and my professors inspired me to travel. I took off for Europe with a 10”x12” travel journal and old Canon AE1. In addition to photographs, I drew pictures of my experiences and my parents were my audience. I also did high speed sports photography of skiers on film and processed all my own photos. At the beginning of my career I worked for Extreme Arts and Sciences helping businesses with teamwork, training, and technology. After nine years there, a mentor recognized my eye toward aesthetics and offered me an opportunity to go work for his brother Lew Harrington in Maui.  Lew is a top photographer there and it was a trial by fire. I fell in love with photography and now all of those experiences inform my work. 

Tree: I came to photography through Jos. I was a milliner and costume designer, and we met at a friend’s wedding. Later we went to Argentina to learn the tango. We shared a similar vibe for art and design and Jos recognized it might translate to photography. We started shooting together, fell in love, and over the years we’ve created a dream business doing the work that feeds our souls.

Engagement photo at Ron Tom's in Portland by Jos & Tree
Engagement photo at Ron Tom's in Portland - taken from elevated tripod with lens pointing straight down by Jos & Tree 

Blair: One of the things I admire about your work is while it’s mostly documentary your technical skills and creativity allow you to get some really amazing shots. 

Tree: Thank you, we try to add a bit of surprise to our collections.

Jos: Mainly we just document the day with zero directing, and when the time is right we’ll set up some fun shots to add to the photos. It just takes a few minutes, it’s alway fun, and it’s worth it.
 

Last photo of the night at Bridgeport Brewery wedding by Jos & Tree
Last photo of the night at Bridgeport Brewery wedding.
Portrait of couple under blue lights at Eastside Exchange Ballroom by Jose & Tree
Portrait with blue gel to light glass sculptures and direct light on couple at Eastside Exchange Ballroom
Getting ready photo of groom in shower by Jos & Ree
Photo of groom getting read in shower, taken with a flash clamped to the shower rod to illuminate water by Jos & Tree

 

X