Meet Jay Lagrandeur | Photographer & Creative Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jay Lagrandeur and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jay, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
“You did it once, so you can do it again” seems to be the one phrase that’s been echoing in my head the loudest lately. I’m still in the early stages of being an artist, so failing is pretty much all I know. I never let that stop me from doing it again, though. Every time I get over that initial fear of screwing up, I allow myself to let go and create shit that continues to impress me.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art stretches across so many mediums of expression that I honestly never know what to call myself. But right now, my default response to “What do you do,” is what I like to call photography for short attention spans. I make flashy and vibrant visuals because they stimulate my lizard brain, just like the rest of my generation. In other words, I mainly appreciate art because I think it looks cool and I enjoy the feeling I get from zany and abstract creative direction. Capturing that through photography is something I’ve known I have wanted to do from a pretty young age, so pursuing this full-time was the easiest decision I’ve made in all my 19 years. I wish I could say that getting the privilege to take this seriously was also easy, but I never let an obstacle stop me from making what I want.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m honestly a shut-in, but the rare times that I do go out I’ll always hit up Lemongrass on Atlantic Avenue by the beach. Their Pad Thai has me in a chokehold, so you’ll always catch me there! Another cool spot is the Moonlite Diner in Fort Lauderdale. The place is super retro and cozy; I’m dying to do a shoot there one day. Lately, my favorite place to hang out has to be The GIrl’s Strawberry U-pick down in Delray Beach. Eating ice cream after feeding birds and petting bunnies is such a pleasant way to spend an evening. I would recommend checking it out!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Shoutout to my family, of course! They’re the ones who taught me to have big dreams for them to support since day one. I can pursue my passion for photography and cinematography because I’m surrounded by love no matter how far I am from home. I also would like to give a special thanks to Emily Snedeker and Larry Decarmine, two of my high-school teachers who’ve helped me grow so much during some of the most formative years of my personal and professional life.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualgrandeur/