Jermel “BaloTeddy” Cox
Welcome to Views!!! The only two page feature in any local publication dedicated to the promotion and exposure of the budding and professional photographer. This weekend the light is on a humble and outgoing gentleman from the community of Grand Riviere, Dennery. Jermel “BaloTeddy” Cox is a positive thinker, who is very respectful, caring and kind-hearted. He enjoys playing football and going out on nature adventures. Something tells me his camera often accompanies him on some of those excursions.
How did you get your start behind the camera? Did you get any formal training who or how did you get your first big break in the photography industry?
I always admired taking selfies and photos of random buildings and landscapes, it came to me to try out photography after coming across the work of Derwin “Wolf” Modeste on Facebook, I used a Samsung S3 which I had at the moment to shoot, posted my photos on the various social media platforms, where very positive and encouraging feedback was received which gradually built my love and passion for photography. However, I didn’t receive any formal training but learnt majority of what I know up to date from YouTube and Benjamin Thomassin of “Presh Productions” who took me under his wings and has been my mentor from there on . I was also lucky to shoot amongst some of the best like ; Allen Chery, Johnson “Jkube” James, Raheem Barnes, Omar Fredrick, Brent Breckles , Amil James, Kendall Moonie, Kwan Regis and others to name a few.
My breakthrough came about after being granted the opportunity to work as an intern photographer at Coconut Bay, which helped develop my skills and made me work at the highest level, building my self confidence.
Nikon, Canon, Sony, which brand do you trust to accurately portray your vision, and are brands important when you are searching for equipment?
To me brands are not really important, I honestly believe it is all about the person behind the camera and his/her ability to visualize a shot before looking into the camera, however, I am a Nikon user and fully trust all Nikon equipment.
In equipment used, what is the best gear you have used in the past and present? Which one is a must for you to have in your camera bag?
D800 on 70-200 mm lens is the best I have used throughout my career thus far. Apart from my camera my speed light is always a must have in my camera bag, because I like to be creative and bring in various dimensions when lighting.
To a novice or a potential client how would you describe your style of photography and what sets it apart from other photographers?
My main goal when shooting is to bring out emotions to life through my photos. I always tend to engage my clients in meaningful conversation as a form of having them relax and lessen the intimidation and tension form having a camera and most times lights flashing at them for me it’s an effective way for me to capture someone’s mood. It’s always a great feeling when a client sends me a heartwarming message expressing that wow feeling of getting to work with me.
Finally, how important is photography to you?
Photography is very important to me because it has helped me open up as an individual. I grew up as a quiet and relatively shy person, making new friends and meeting people who share the same passion with me developed many positive aspects of my life both professionally and personally. Most of all photography provided me with the opportunity to have a dream job doing something that I enjoy doing. It motivates me a lot walking in the streets and having different people coming up to me saying that they admire what I’m doing.
