The Visionary’s Manifesto in association with heART of Cool Presents Jackson “NocturnalCoonz” Hall a.k.a The Digital DemiGod!
“There is only you and your camera. The limitations in your photography are in yourself” a quote by Ernst Haas. Truer words have never been spoken about our next candidate for The Visionary’s Manifesto, Jackson Hall has a no limitations contract within his soul and once you observe the myriad dimensions of the vastness of the photos that he manipulates I’m sure you will come to the conclusion that Mr. Hall has taken on the form of a powerful spirit and tapped into the celestial makeup that expands beyond our understanding of visual comprehension. Jackson or as he is more aptly named among a multitude of admirers goes by the moniker “NocturnalCoonz” but after not only speaking with him but trying to grasp his abilities of manifesting conceptual alien-like photo art I had to call him by another name, “The Digital DemiGod!! Let us go beyond the lens and enter into the mind of a man who defies our general understanding of physics as he takes us on an evolutionary journey through his vision of photography.
HoC Interview:
HoC: How did you get the name “NocturnalCoonz”?
JH: To make a long story short my full name is Jackson Conner Hall and for a long time everyone simply called me Conner to the point that I actually didn’t know my first name until like fifth grade (heartfelt laughter). One day while we were in high school my buddy Alex gave me the nickname “coonz” which is short for Conner and soon afterwards all of my friends started referring to me in that way. I moved to Oregon after high school and to my surprise the new friends that I made started referring to me as “coonz” with no previous knowledge that it was a nickname given by my friend Alex. I created an Instagram account around 2012 and the screen name that I chose was “nocturnalcoonz” because I would work as a DJ and usually perform late into the night hence the nocturnal reference. So now I pretty much use it for all of my social media platforms and promotions.
HoC: Describe your early childhood and what influenced your creativity?
JH: I really think that StarWars had the most influence because of the deep space elements, I watched the series as a kid and it really captured my attention. I remember making intricate cardboard box set-ups and pretending that I was in one of the X-wing fighters.
HoC: How do you choose the subjects for your amazing photo shoots?
JH: In my earlier work I was doing a lot of portraits and I was very selective about who I would choose, using people who were very close to me because I couldn’t pay for models. I would have people facing the scenery instead of facing the camera which created an entirely different feel and puts you in the experience of that particular person. I lucked-up and now my girlfriend is featured in my photos as well, I basically use whatever or whoever is around me at that moment.
HoC: What raw attributes and vulnerabilities do you look for when you are taking photos?
JH: Whenever I go out to take photos sometimes I have a vision of what I’m looking for down to the landscape and background or if I go somewhere and see something there is a sudden spark. I’m constantly looking for different ways to explore within the scope of how I capture moments.
HoC: How does the gift of intimacy impact your work?
JH: I feel like I’m a hopeless romantic, one of the photos displays a couple standing on the edge of a cliff, I captured an organic moment of happiness between two people and my intentions are to immortalize those moments when people are enveloped in a sense of peace and love.
HoC: Your photography and artistic style portrays an otherworldly quality, where does your inspiration come from?
JH: I have a big fascination with outer-space, everything from supernovas to neighbouring galaxies and planets. I also try to remember how I envisioned the world and beyond as a child the shapes and forms of my imaginations take on a life of their own.
HoC: What images do you feel worthy of your vision to capture within the focus via the camera lens?
JH: It gets tricky sometimes for instance when you see a vast landscape and yet when you take the picture it doesn’t do it justice. Finding a true representation of the image and the majestic nature of it all is very inspiring and humbling at the same time.
HoC: How do you envision your gifts making a lasting impact upon the world?
JH: I have dreams but I feel that I am still within the early stages of my vision as it pertains to photography. There is so much to learn about taking the photos and the editing process which can become a huge task, I’m hoping that through creating the visual art there will come a moment of evolution that I experience, a defining factor that will in-turn inspire others via the epiphany. I sincerely hope that I can continue to have a global impact through this art form.
HoC: Can you describe the feeling you get when you have taken the perfect photograph?
JH: There is a feeling of utter joy and excitement, to capture that exact moment is indescribable and the experience is both fleeting and addictive.
HoC: Why did you choose to immortalize humanity using photography?
JH: Photography for me is incredibly rewarding, to be able to capture all of these moments and then to create a whole new perspective is amazing. I’ve tried other things such as making music etc. but when I picked-up my first camera there was a strong sense of being in total alignment with this gift and what my intentions were in relation to my artistic vision.
HoC: What final thoughts would you like to leave with our audience in respect to gaining “focus” on their chosen journeys?
JH: Try a bunch of different things in the realm of creativity such as drawing, painting or whatever you feel directed towards. Develop your skills through a lot of practice it’s all about finding what aligns with your vision and don’t get discouraged in the process.
To learn more about Jackson “NocturnalCoonz” Hall and his beautiful take on capturing and recreating stunning visuals please visit his Instagram account at “nocturnalcoonz.”
