Jon Hope - Career Timeline

Career Timeline

Here is a collection of galleries spanning 25 years of photography. Enjoy!

School and Assisting

My first published photograph was also my first ride in a helicopter — and my first attempt at aerial photography.After art college, I moved to London and began working as a photographer’s assistant. This low-paid but invaluable apprenticeship gave me the skills and confidence to start shooting on my own.

Portraits 1986-1994

A mix of personal projects and magazine work from my early London years, when I was transitioning from assisting to working as a full-time photographer.

Portraits 1995-2012

I moved to San Francisco in 1994.The weather was far better than in the UK, but finding work in a smaller city was challenging. I eventually signed with editorial agents in both New York and London, and went on to shoot primarily for European magazines.

Cambodia 2001

In 2001 I traveled to Cambodia working on a documentary film Out of the Poison Tree.From a photography standpoint, it was a return to basics — I brought minimal equipment, a stark contrast to the carload of studio gear I usually relied on.

24 Hr Fitness 2002-2006

I worked on a wide range of projects for the 24 Hour Fitness creative team, including product photography, annual conventions, and stills for TV commercials. One of the most challenging assignments was photographing their sponsored athletes at the 2004 Olympic Trials.

World Golf Tour 2008-2011

One of my more unusual projects began as a four-week assignment on a South Carolina golf course and turned into a full-time role for three years. I managed a team of 10–12 people and photographed some of the best courses in the U.S. and UK on the ground and in the air.

Aerial Photography

Three years of shooting golf courses for WGT gave me the perfect training to create my own aerial work. This was just before drones became widely used, and I was fascinated by the bird’s-eye views of the Bay Area — especially the abstract patterns and shapes seen from above.