A group of cameras and lenses laid out on a zebra print.

A mechanic laying on the floor of a garage.

A woman in a pink jumpsuit standing in front of a small house.

A burned out car sits in the middle of a forest.

A man is swimming in a river with mist in the background.

A man laying on the ground with a lawn mower.

A large pink present sitting outside of a house.

Jodie James

Commercial | Last Updated: November 3, 2023

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Hey, I am Jodie, an advertising and commercial photographer based in Wanaka on the South Island of New Zealand.

I am represented by Film Construction in Auckland, who are just an awesome crew with some amazing talent as part of the team.

I’ve been shooting full-time for around eight years after a decade-long career in marketing. I think the main thing I love about shooting is creating personal work.

I love the opportunity to start from scratch with zero guidelines and no rules. This in itself can be a hard part, but also the part that is so exciting!

I love shooting film as it has made me slow down and really think about that three-dollar shutter click. It allows me to be a little more conscious when shooting.

It takes a minute to remember not to look at the back of the camera after each shot, but I am pretty good at forgetting what I have photographed, so it’s always a great surprise when I get my scans back.

I am mainly a Canon shooter, having started out with a guy I assisted who also shot with Canon. I absolutely love their gear, so I have mostly stuck with it.

I also have a few film cameras in my kit with a beast from Fuji, my every day from Minolta and of course a Rolleicord.

I seem to have quite a bit of gear spread throughout my messy office, but I tend to stick to my favourites even though I throw almost everything in my bag.

Canon EOS R5 – I was really excited with this mirrorless camera, and it lived up to everything I was hoping for. I do find the buttons a little confusing to navigate at times, but the Raws it produces are truly epic.

It’s lighter than its predecessors, and it was a real step up for me.

Rolleicord V – I love this little camera, and I simply don’t take it out enough. It requires quite a bit of concentration, and I forget between uses just how great it is.

Minolta X-700 35mm – I was gifted this camera by a friend’s dad, and it has been with me for quite a few years now. It’s a great everyday film camera, small enough that I can always throw it in my bag, and it still produces great-quality images.

DJI Mini 3 Pro – this little drone is epic for adventures. It is so small yet has great battery life lasting just over thirty minutes, and it is super easy to fly.

I recommend the handheld remote control with the built-in screen, making it easy to operate.

Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 – this is a beautiful everyday lens that I upgraded to from my EF 24mm-70mm, another epic step. I love the versatility and that I can use it for basically anything. It is great when I need to move fast and don’t have a lot of time to change lenses.

Canon EF 50mm USM f/1.2 – this is a pretty old lens now, but it performs well. The best and worst thing for me is shooting backlit as it takes a good twenty shots to get something epic, but when you nail it, it really shines.

It seems to struggle with focus if it can’t find a good point of contrast, but overall it’s still going well.

Canon EF 35mm f/1.4 – another oldie but a goodie. I love shooting thirty-five millimetre; it’s easy, makes me move around and fits my editorial style.

The combo of this and a portrait lens always makes me super happy when shooting a story.

Canon EF 85mm f/1.4 IS USM – this is one of the best lenses for portraits. It is pretty heavy to lug around, but when I do take it, I always wonder why I don’t use it more.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS III USM – this thing is the bane of my photography life when out and about due to my lack of strength!

I love it so much, but it’s so heavy. I really struggled to decide whether to get this or the lighter f/4, but I made the right decision.

I just need to lift some more weights to be able to hold it a little more steady, and like the 85mm every time I use this lens, I wonder why I don’t use it more often.

F-stop TILOPA 50L – I often get teased about this bag as it’s so big; however, it can fit a lot of gear in. It’s so great to be able to take everything I need (including emergency clothing), and its super accessible with loads of pockets.

I have been through a few other bags before this one, but this is by far my favourite.

I always have snacks, sunscreen and antihistamines in my bag. I shoot outside a lot, and as we all know, things often go longer than planned, so these three things seem to get used at every shoot.

My secret item is a poncho, and thankfully it hasn’t been used, but I figure one day it’s going to be a lifesaver!

We can all agree that the gear-buying itch is real!

I’m constantly scouring the web for shiny new toys and daydreaming about expanding my collection. But you know what I’ve learned?

It’s not just about the gear; it’s about mastering what each piece does and when to use it. That learning curve took me a bit to conquer.

I have this little mantra I always repeat to myself: “Every photo taken before today was captured with gear that’s not as fancy as what we have now.”

There are some jaw-dropping photos and incredible photographers out there who remind me that it’s the person behind the lens, not the gear in their hands, that creates the magic.

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