We had the good fortune of connecting with Jono Melamed and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jono, how do you think about risk?
I used to think of myself as pretty risk averse but I’ve learned that most of what looks like risk is actually just an invitation to be playful, to explore and experiment without knowing the outcome. Once I started prioritizing play within my practice, not just by myself, but also with others, I learned how to synthesize both my successes and my failures into something meaningful. Success and failure aren’t that different from one another when you’re trying to grow because we become better artists through both of them in different ways. As I’ve continued exploring both personally and professionally, working with different kinds of people, I’ve had the chance to observe how they deal with ambiguity and incorporate those observations into my own lessons. I think that’s really benefited not just my personal and professional practices, but also the way that I move through the world. Taking risks isn’t always about being brave… Sometimes it’s just about giving yourself permission to be curious and then trusting yourself enough to navigate what comes next.

A woman and a man pose outdoors with a leafless tree, woman standing and man sitting on a chair, black and white photo.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
It might sound cliché, but what sets me apart, if anything actually does, is my willingness to show up as myself. I’ve had a camera in my hand since I was a child, and over the last several decades, I have photographed pretty much everything that you can as a professional. While exploring different types of photography, I was never really good at doing things the way I thought they were supposed to be done. Instead, I always ended up doing things my own way, the way that felt right in my gut. Sometimes it was a little weird, and sometimes it was a little impractical, but it was almost always received well by my clients. I used to be self-conscious about that when I was younger, I thought it meant I couldn’t do my job well. But now I realize that learning to trust myself to be myself has always been my biggest asset professionally.

A few years ago, I opened up a tintype portrait studio called Yoneland in downtown Tucson. When people come in, I’m not just here to take their picture. I’m here to drop in and connect, to take some time to learn about who they are and also tell them a little bit about who I am, because all good portraiture is a collaboration, and all good collaborations are an honest energetic exchange.

Lately I’ve been most excited about a long-term project that I’ve been working on for the last couple of years. That project sees me using the wet plate collodion process to document the public lands currently at risk in our shifting political climate. I’m not here to get political and I don’t think this subject should be. Many of the places that make our national such a beautiful place to live are being threatened and once they’re gone, they’re never coming back. Using this process to tell this story has been challenging, but also rewarding. t feels like the culmination of the last several years of diving quite deeply into my practice and the processes from which it is comprised. I don’t know where it’s going to go, but getting there has been a lot of fun, and the project feels really important to me.

I got to where I am today by making a lot of wrong turns and a couple of the right ones. Getting here wasn’t easy, exactly, but it also wasn’t hard in the ways people expect. It’s been years of trial and error across every part of my life, and most of what I’ve learned about photography has actually had very little to do with photography — more about staying gentle in a chaotic world, giving myself grace in moments of doubt, and knowing when to put the camera down and just be present.

What I want the world to know about me is simple: I’m here, and I’d love to connect with anyone and everyone who has a story that needs telling — or just wants to collaborate on making a moment.

Woman with long hair wearing a wide-brimmed hat, looking at the camera, in black and white.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My favorite spots in the city aren’t in the city, but right outside. I just love the desert and when people come to visit I take them out into it.

Desert landscape with tall cacti, mountain in background, and dry ground, in black and white.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Anyone and everyone that’s taken the time to take a seat with me either in my studio or at an event. I’m so grateful for everyone that’s taken an interest in my work and trusted me to work with them.

Website: https://www.yoneland.com

Instagram: yoneland

Linkedin: jonomelamed

Facebook: yoneland

Yelp: yoneland

Three people, a man, a woman, and a child, pose together in a black-and-white photo, with the woman and child smiling.

Black and white portrait of a woman with curly hair wearing a ruffled blouse, looking at the camera.

Desert landscape with cacti and mountain in background, black and white photo.

Black and white portrait of a person with short hair and freckles, facing forward with a neutral expression.

Image Credits
Cassidy Araiza for the pictures of me. All other images are by me.

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.