FOOD | ARTS | COMMUNITY | STYLE+LEISURE
PICTURE PERFECT
STREET PHOTOGRAPHER CAPTURES HOUSTON’S HIDDEN BEAUTIES
I have so often heard the same tired critique of Houston’s urban landscape by outsiders: “It is a
beige, expansive, boring concrete jungle devoid of beauty and culture.” Those of us who call
this city home resent these false stereotypes. The Houston skyline is a wonder of architecture and
design, towering over the surrounding neighborhoods like the nucleus of a giant atom. The historic
wards that make up Houston proper are bustling with life, color and more culture than can be
contained within the borders of entire states. Still, even among those who love and admire this
city, few are truly aware of all its hidden beauties. The decaying ruins of abandoned warehouses
on the east side, the dark alleys of Downtown at night, the lights of the freeways from overpasses
and rooftops – these are the places where street photographers like Jason Bundage create their
art.
Jason, or JAYBUN3030 as he is known on Instagram, has been shooting urban photography for
the past six years or so. An admirer of photography since childhood, he would scour the pages
of National Geographic as a kid, soaking up the images and developing a love for the artform.
Jason is a self-taught photographer, learning how to handle his first DSLR by hitting the streets of
Houston and shooting as often as possible. Today, he has amassed a large online following
thanks to his gripping, crisp and visceral imagery. He specializes in low-light shooting, exploring
the streets and hidden corners of Houston by night, a hobby that is both difficult to master and
inherently risky. But he rarely works alone. Jason is part of a large and ever-growing community
of Houston photographers that use Instagram to share their work and connect with each other.
Houston’s impressive skyline and culturally rich neighborhoods make it more than a photogenic
city. It has become something of a muse for hundreds of talented amateur and aspiring profession-
al photographers. The ubiquity of social media, particularly the rise of Instagram, has provided a
medium through which these local artists can share their work, which in turn has led to the creation
of an unofficial community. This community not only supports each other’s work online, but hosts
meetups, gallery shows and other organized events. Jaybun is among the community’s most talent-
ed and followed artists, also one of its first. “When I started going out exploring, there wouldn’t
be anyone else out there. Now when you go to Downtown, there are photographers everywhere.”
But he doesn’t see this as a drawback. While he admits that oversaturation and competition make
it extremely difficult to earn a living as a photographer, he applauds anyone who wants to make
Houston their favorite subject and welcomes them into the community of Houston Instagrammers.
As he puts it, “Most of my friends today are people I met through Instagram.”
Recently, Jason’s friend and fellow photographer Brandon Brown (bzillions) published a book of
photography titled No Captions, which includes Jason’s work, as well as his own, and that of
nine other talented photographers from different cities and backgrounds. The project was Jason’s
first time being published, and along with a social media deal from Mountain Dew, marks his
crossover from online hobbyist to paid professional. He hopes that these types of deals keep
coming, and looks forward to traveling more this year, shooting scenes outside of Houston and
possibly expanding beyond street photography all together. Of course, H-Town will remain his first
muse and most important subject through his inevitable ascent.
09.18.2016
By Carlos Brandon | Photography by JayBun3030
52
L O C A L | 5 . 2018
5 . 2018 | L O C A L
53