25 THINGS - ANNA JONES
 | | Anna Jones |
Des Moines' technology scene has its own photographer, or so it appears. Whether it's the photo of Ben Milne in Forbes "30 Under 30" or a series from Thinc Iowa, Anna Jones is doing the shooting. Here's more about Anna (view her portfolio site here) and her gear:
1. Without the use of visual aids, I am legally blind.
2. I have a horrible sense of direction.
3. I have my pilot's license.
4. Because of #2, I don't utilize #3 but...
5. I always finish what I start. "It's all about the landing" -- words to live by.
Q. To quote Jerry Seinfeld, "What's the deal..." with Instagram?
Anna: It's funny, because it took me very long to "get" Twitter, and it still confuses me. But, nearest I can tell, Instagram is essentially Twitter with photos. And I love it & I totally get it (@alongcomesjones). I shall add it to the things I wish I would have thought of first.
6. As a child, I begged my mother to home school me, as class was cutting into my own personal book reading time. Alarmed, she immediately enrolled me in team sports.
7. I hold four swim team records at my old high school.
8. I once went skydiving and the first shoot didn't open.
9. I've been told that the color of my aura is purple.
10. I think if a man can grow a beard, he should grow a beard.
Q. Tell me about shooting Dwolla and your relationship with that company.
Anna: Dwolla is a dynamic and talented motley crue -- shoots to date have been pretty laid back and I've been lucky to have some (okay, all) creative control. The only thing is, they don't like to stop working for very long so we have to shoot fast : ) Kidding. Sort of.
11. I have never had a cavity.
12. I have seen every episode of House and Friday Night Lights
13. I love to garden
14. I have three blonde-hair, blue-eyed sisters. I have red hair and brown eyes. As a child when people would ask me where I got these features I would always say "the milkman," having no idea what I was implying.
15. I like to explore on vacations, not sit around and "relax."
Q. What's your impression of the technology professionals you've worked with? What do you think of the companies (several startups) that you've photographed?
Anna: "There is a great energy in that place (Startup City), they work hard and they create things. They have amazing ideas and I wish them all the success in the world. Some ideas are bound to not work out, but the beautiful thing is that no one will be able to say it was from lack of trying. I love that."
 | | Ben Milne - Dwolla |
16. When I was 15 I lied about my little sister's age and weight so that she could bike down an active volcano with me in Kilauea National Park. It was actually very dangerous and marks the first of many times I used the phrase "what doesn't kill you will only make you stronger (don't tell Mom" to my little sis--sorry Al, love you!).
17. When someone says you will "bike through a cloud" - this is not as picturesque as it sounds.
18. I went alligator hunting in the Everglades. Our airboat "captain" had one eye. I imagine he lost it fightin' gators.
19. I could live on a sailboat in the ocean and never look back.
20. I want to learn to navigate by the stars.
Q. What drives you crazy when you look at other people's photos?
Anna: Selective coloring: Just. Don't. Do. It.
 | | Thinc Iowa |
21. I lived in St. Paul briefly while working on a film and rented a room on the third floor of an old Victorian that was haunted by a WWII General.
22. I shared a coffee with Alan Arkin in Stillwater, Minnesota, and told him about the General. He seemed interested, but he is an actor.
23. I love silent movies.
24. Nikola Tesla is a personal hero of mine.
25. I grew up on a street that actually had a milkman until 1994.
Q. For the photography pros and hobbyists in our audience, what gear and software can't you live without?
Anna: Full frame Canon (whether it be a 5D or 1D), 85mm lens and 35mm lens, Photoshop and VSCO film editing software. I am also pretty fond of my tilt-shift lens.
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