Name: Jill Hunter
Place of Employment: jill hunter photography
Job Title: I’m a freelance editorial and advertising photographer and specialize in photographing people and places on location.

What do you get out of being an AIGA volunteer and member?
The opportunity to network with, be inspired by and learn from others in the design community.

What inspired you to become a photographer?
I’ve always been passionate about capturing the people and places around me and sharing what I see with others. It’s so cliché, but I’ve been obsessed with photography since I was a kid. I even have a series of individual portraits that I took when I was eight years old of all of my Cabbage Patch Kids with my Fisher Price camera. Prior to becoming a professional, I photographed a series of political murals in Northern Ireland that really inspired me to do fine art and travel photography when I returned back home.

When you aren’t working, what are you doing?
Running the trails at Memorial Park and conjuring up new recipes with kale and other odd vegetables.

What is your greatest accomplishment to date as a photographer?
That’s a hard question! I think any time I’ve set my mind on a project and actually have had the opportunity to do it has felt like an incredible achievement. Most recently, I’ve been focusing on travel photography, so when I got a call from KLM a few months ago to shoot a nine-page travel feature for their inflight magazine, I was pretty excited. It’s out right now, so if you happen to be on one of their flights this month, check it out!

What advice would you give to an aspiring photographer?
I’d strongly recommend all aspiring professional photographers to assist a photographer that they admire when they’re first starting out. It’s a great way to understand what’s involved in the business and to make contacts within the industry as well. And on another note, if you’re a parent, I highly encourage you to let your kids take pictures with your camera. Kids have an incredible eye for photos and it’s a great way to get them enthusiastic about a hobby they’ll enjoy throughout their entire life.

What your favorite place to escape to that inspires you?
Any place that’s new to me. I love exploring and I always find inspiration in discovering new places and people, even if it’s just outside of my own backyard.

What is one place in Houston that when you’re there, you don’t feel like you’re in Houston?
The trails at Memorial Park. I’ve been running and biking there since I was a kid and it always makes me forget that I’m right in the middle of one of the largest urban environments in the country.

Where can we find you?
My website is www.jillhunterphotography.com. I’m also on facebook but totally clueless at the moment about twitter.