Jared Winslow Finds Himself in the Right Place at the Right Time
In January of this year I had a great opportunity to interview my friend and fellow photographer, Jared Winslow. The Rhode Island born photographer and filmmaker, who just completed his recent move to NYC, talked about his love for street photography and philosophy for adventure. It’s been an honor getting to know Jared this past year and I hope you enjoy
PROVIDENCE, R.I., Jan. 26, 2023 — For Jared Winslow, being in the right place at the right time is important. Winslow is a street photographer, and getting compelling photos means he is constantly finding and capturing unique, chance moments. Moments, he says, that surround us every day but are waiting to be discovered. Winslow talks about his favorite photo that he has taken, a silhouetted figure holding an umbrella traverses an alley on Westminster Street in Providence while heavy snow cascades down over the frame, each flake perfectly frozen in time: “This photo means a lot to me because it symbolizes my love for street photography”, he said. “It’s the perfect example of never knowing what you’ll find, I was in the right place at the right time, and seeing him walking directly down the center of the alley as soon as I turned around is something I won’t forget”.
But in Winslow’s case, being in the ‘right place at the right time’ entails more than luck, which the classic adage usually implies. The Rhode Island born and based photographer is quite proactive about putting himself in that place — time after time — to find and freeze those magical moments. In Feb. 2021, just a month before capturing that snowy photo on Westminster Street, Winslow moved from his hometown of Bristol, Rhode Island to Providence. Having grown up in smaller towns, living on his own in the city was a new adventure, and it was here in Providence that Winslow started to experiment more with photography and come into his own as an artist. Being in the heart of the city meant much more exposure to opportune moments, and the ability to venture out and capture them more often.
While searching for those moments, however, Winslow found more in Providence. He made many great friends in the small city and gained a sense of independence by living on his own for the first time. Winslow even started a clothing brand, “pvdluv”, an homage to the city that began as a way for him to show love for his favorite local businesses (you’ll likely see many Rhode Islanders or fellow photographers walking around Providence wearing T-shirts or hoodies adorned with the iconic ‘PVD’ and skyline logo). “Providence has been an enormous part of my journey so far”, said Winslow, “it’s really where I started to get out of my shell”.
This year, the photographer is making another big move. His ambitious drive to grow, challenge himself, and experience more has led him to New York City, a place he has wanted to live for a long time but is now planning on moving to this year. The ‘Big Apple’ is often regarded as one of the best cities in the world for street photography, which is a big reason for his relocation, but for Winslow the move represents more. “It was a lot of things” he explained, like “…the experience of moving somewhere completely new to see what that’s like, and having to reinvent myself there from scratch”. He was also inspired by the innovative NYC-based videographer Casey Neistat, who showed him just how exceedingly different and exciting the pace of life could be in such a city.
New York City is only the next chapter of Winslow’s journey. Since picking up a camera for the first time those six or so years ago during college, the photographer is always seeking the next right place and time, finding and capturing those special moments along the way. From his quiet hometown in Bristol to fast-paced city life, Winslow’s photographic philosophy applies whether or not he is behind the lens: “The more you put yourself out there, the more likely you are to find moments you love”.