XXL, the Source, Straight No Chaser, Urb Magazine, Washington Post, Essence, the Congressional Black Caucus and many other media outlets are where New Jersey born photographer Jati Lindsay has placed his work. Sitting on the patio of Starbucks on the historic U Street in Washington, DC Jati seems to be in his own world, almost like he heard me say, “what up!” as I came off the green line metro stop but it was too late, he was in his element, the street. The Morgan State graduate who would periodically visit DC during what he calls the “Love Jones Period” has witnessed the gentrification that has and is ocurring in the District. Realizing the importance of the historic U Street he wanted to capture that in the same fashion and purpose that he captures everything else he shoots, with the hope that his work will be able to explain itself without verbal explanation.

Scheme: What was your experience like growing up in South Jersey?

Jati Lindsay: It was great, I wouldn’t change my upbringing for anything. I was surrounded by tight family-units, I never had anyone that had parents that were separated, we all went to church and played some type of sport.

Scheme: When did you make the transition from Jersey to DC?

Jati Lindsay: In the early 90’s, my dad got a job down here so I moved down here right before high school.

Scheme: What did you discover that Jersey didn’t have that DC had?

Jati Lindsay: I missed everything about Jersey, it was a totally different world coming down here. Where I moved to, Columbia, Maryland, it was kind of more upscale and the kids were different there. Back in Jersey we were outside at the basketball court as long as we could possibly be out there rain or shine. I came down here and kids in Maryland would complain that it was to hot to be outside and instead they would go to these indoor sporting clubs so it was just different.

Scheme: When did you first fall in love with photography?

Jati Lindsay: I would say the mid 90’s. I had a website which was like a online magazine and I had one of the first sony digital cameras and I started taking pictures with that for the website, but even then I never really thought about being a photographer it was just something to add to the website stuff I was doing.

Scheme: So when did you pursue it as your career?

Jati Lindsay: I started thinking about it in 2001, but probably around 2002. I had a regular 9-5 job as a webmaster for the Department of Transportation. I really was about to start doing music and video stuff but I really wanted to learn about capturing images from the ground up. So I bought a 35mm camera and started shooting with that so I could learn everything and I just fell in love with it. I’ll still get to the movie and video part going but I don’t allocate any money to it right now.

Scheme: When did you start putting your work out there or when did it start receiving recognition?

Jati Lindsay: Probably about 02′-03′ it wasn’t that long. I did a lot of work in a short amount of time. I got laid off after 9/11 and that’s when I started to say to myself I want to be a photographer. It’s funny how when you ask for something but your not really aware of what your asking for. I used to wake in the morning around 5am and shoot before I went to work, then I’d shoot at lunchtime and I said to myself I wish I could do this all the time. Not even two weeks after I said that I got laid off. So basically for the next year and a half I was getting unemployment and photography became my fulltime job and pretty much everything I do now I got from the foundation of shooting non-stop.

Scheme: What was your hustle like when you got laid off and you decided to pursue photography full time, what were those days like?

Jati Lindsay: Before I say that the things that I did like about DC; I used to race BMX and skateboard a little bit in Jersey but to get to the BMX track it was quite a distance. Where as when I moved down here the track was right across the street from my house so I really started racing and skating and being a skater you automatically had friends, so if I wasn’t skating it would’ve taken me a lot longer to have friends. The first couple of years here were a struggle so I would go to school in one door and go right out the other and that’s when my skating really took off and I got sponsored and went on tours across the country. Skating really informs everything I do in terms of always trying to look at things in a creative way.

Scheme: If you had one, what would you say your weakness is?

Jati Lindsay: Probably more on the commercial end with setting up a lot of lights and things. I do it sometimes but I prefer to use natural light and be out in the street. The street is my studio and there’s not too much I can’t do out in the street.

Scheme: A lot of your pictures are black and white instead of color. Do you prefer one over the other?

Jati Lindsay: I prefer black & white especially for my personal stuff. For commercial and editorial stuff they want color, so I give them color but when I’m out doing my thing I do it in black & white.

Scheme: In you’re catalogue you have a series of photos taken strictly on U Street. What attracts you about U Street that made you decide to dedicate photos with U Street as the background?

Jati Lindsay: Well I went to college in Baltimore at Morgan State and Baltimore was kind wack on the social side, I naturally gravitated towards DC. Also coming of age in the Love Jones era, and everyone is growing locks and ladies wise this was the place to be around Howard(University) and U Street (smiles). I started coming to U Street in 97′. In terms of my U Street photography it was just live out here. I started seeing subtle changes and the gentrification started happening and once I started learning the history of U Street history I thought it was important to capture that.

Scheme: So what do you plan on doing with this catalogue that you’ve created if you haven’t already?

Jati Lindsay: I have a show now in DC. Pieces of my U Street work have been touring pretty much around the world I’m not sure specifically where they are right now. There’s this magazine in Amsterdam called Code and they saw my U Street stuff and they asked me for an interview.

Scheme: What’s that feel like to know that your stuff is being looked at internationally?

Jati Lindsay: It’s cool, I look at it as affirmation that I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing. Success is definitely going to happen in the future, I mean it’s happening now and everything is affirmation that there are bigger and better things to come.

Scheme: If there is an ultimate goal and or goals what are they?

Jati Lindsay: To leave a body of work behind that will be able to stand on its own and it will be able to clearly say whatever it says and I won’t necessarily have to say anything.

“It’s helped me be more fearless, once I decided to do this as my job and make a living off of it. For the most part I don’t even have time to be scared in terms of something that stops me from doing something, that’s not really an option.”

Scheme: What do you look for when you’re shooting? Is it something in particular, is it something that catches your eye, do you have a certain style?

Jati Lindsay: I don’t particularly see it, other people see it. I can see it a little but for the most part I just shoot. I have a definite way that I shoot but other people can see more than I can. For me it’s all about the light and composition. I look at the light first and see how the light is in a certain spot, and then I start looking for certain elements to move into the picture and try to capture it quickly before I lose it.

Scheme: You photograph a lot of musicians in the music industry, what’s it been like to have the opportunity to do that?

Jati Lindsay: It’s cool I try not to think about it that much, especially when it’s a particular artist that I really like and then your actually in the studio with them while their making the music. I pretty much view it as we’re all on the same level. When I see artists that I really admire that’s just inspiration for me to step my game up and take my stuff to a higher level, once I do that then we’re peers. I mean I’m a fan of their work but when I’m in the same space as them we’re colleagues.

Scheme: I know you said your favorite magazine is Straight No Chaser, so what was it like being in that magazine and what was it like being in something as historic as the Source Magazine?

Jati Lindsay: Well I have my stuff in all these magazines but they get your images in different ways. So it’s one thing when they call me and hire me to shoot and it’s another thing if they get my picture from a label or the artist. I mean it’s cool to have my stuff in there, but it means a little more when they actually contact me and pay me. But Straight No Chaser, that’s been the dopest magazine for a while.

Scheme: You mentioned how important lighting is to your photography, what part of the day do you like the most?

Jati Lindsay: Late afternoon early evening (which is what we we’re in) this light right here is the best because the sun is going down. Noon is the worst light because the sun is straight ahead but as the sun starts going down that’s the best light. Now it could be morning or evening but as long as the sun is not on top of me.

Scheme: What’s the growth process been like regarding your development as a person and your photography? What are the things that have stuck with you and what are things you’ve automatically let go of?

Jati Lindsay: It’s helped me be more fearless, once I decided to do this as my job and make a living off of it. For the most part I don’t even have time to be scared in terms of something that stops me from doing something, that’s not really an option. I have to make the money to eat. It’s really trial by fire which is really the best way. I might tell somebody I can do a job that I really don’t know how to do, but I’m going to learn it and I’m going to do it because I need the money. So those things are stressful but I just focus and try not to dwell on it. Once I go through it, it gives me more confidence to do it again.

Scheme: Do you ever feel forced in your photography?

Jati Lindsay: I definitely feel forced because some people that hire me, they may not value what I’m doing, they may not even talk to me. I may get to a job and it’s just shoot that person so you just have to take it with a grain of salt.

Scheme: What excites you most about your photography and photography in general?

Jati Lindsay: It’s fun, I love to be in the street shooting and shooting shows. It’s work, but I definitely enjoy the work. Sometimes I may be out in the street and be out there all day and not get any shots and other days I might shoot three or four rolls, but you have to put the time in, you have to be out here in the mix.