With C.1950, Jake Michaels Empathetically Documents The Intriguing Mennonites Of Belize

Your style is distinctly very cinematic, how would you describe it in your own words? What themes do you work with in general?

I think cinematic is the correct term for my work. Scouting, like when making a film, is essential to my practice. I find myself scouting for locations more than I find myself actually photographing. The lead-up to a photograph can be a very long process but takes half of a second to make.

What other forms of art and culture are you interested in? And do these mediums influence your photographic work?

I am deeply influenced by other mediums, along with photography. I studied studio art at university, and I would say sculpture and installation work impact my practice. The work of Simon Starling showed me how you can use photography as a part of an exhibition rather than the whole exhibition. As per photography, I am really drawn to long-form journalism work. I find that it is a way to see what is going on in our world, rather than just my own world.