Yá'át'ééh
…which means “Hello” in Navajo.
My name is Samuel Jake and I am 24 years young. I am Dine or Navajo which is a Native American Tribe based primarily in the Southwest United States. I grew up in Sandy, Utah and graduated from Jordan High School. I have been blessed living in this area and appreciate the people that have supported me throughout my life. I loved growing up in the shadows of the Utah mountains.
I started doing Photography and Videography in 2013. I was always interested in art growing up, but never saw it as a legitimate way to make money. I started in weddings, but have transitioned from a variety of genres including Food, Automotive, Action, Corporate, Commercial, Portraits, Landscapes, Wildlife, and the list goes on and on.
People often ask which genre I prefer to shoot and honestly it’s all of them. I love to connect with my subjects and try to showcase them in the best way possible. Whether it be weddings with tons of directing necessary or a mountain range that needs no direction, I find fulfillment in capturing their moments in time. If I were to name my top favorite things to capture it would be Action, Adventure, and Landscape.
I work in the memory business. I capture memories and experiences that help connect us in a variety of ways; some business, some personal. At the end of the day, I do this for the freedom and connection that this profession has given to me. I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.
This is my family - we are a crazy bunch.
I love my family and wouldn’t want to go through life with another crew.
They have supported me since Day 1 to follow my dreams, especially my parents.
I am very grateful for the examples that my parents have been and their teachings.
I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today without their love and support.
Growing up with a Sickness
For most of my teenage and adult life, I had a series of healths problems that we couldn’t figure out how to fix them. It started when I was 15 and has been a serious challenge in my life. Symptoms included seizures, skin problems, extreme fatigue, joint paint, muscle failure, stomach problems and more.
Pictured here is a photo taken when I was 17 attending Utah State. As you can see, I was a complete mess. I graduated high school a year early and was in college when my problems started getting worse. I wanted nothing more than to be normal and fix the problems I had, but for years we had no idea what to do. We didn’t even know what we were up against.
I went on a LDS mission after doing everything I could to get out there. The seven months that I served was filled with pain and struggle and I ended up being sent home. I wasn’t well at all and was basically bedridden for the whole year after. Nobody knew what to do or how to help me. Countless efforts were made to give us hope, but I didn’t make any progress until 2019 when I was 22.
In between 2015 and 2020 I lived in a unique lifestyle. I started doing photography and it gave me the flexibility to work with my health situation. I moved into a warehouse garage and turned it into a studio apartment with my friends. I would have parties and have a good time, but deep down I was suffering and struggling. During this time of my life, I made a lot of mistakes and grew a good amount. I was pretty successful with my business and had the freedom to travel and have lots of fun. I lived in a van for a bit and did whatever I could to be free and experience life to the fullest. From the outside, I was living the life, but inside I had serious breaking points and at times I lost all hope of being healthy again.
In 2019 I went to a clinic in Mexico and I finally figured out how to help my symptoms and was diagnosed with Lyme Disease. This was a huge turnaround for me and I began a journey to change lots of things in my life. There were lots of things I wanted to change and I am still doing my best to change certain habits I developed from being very sick. Currently, I still have problems and flare ups, but they are nothing like they used to be. I have a system/structure now and most importantly: Hope.
As I am writing this, I am getting a little choked up because it helps me remember my struggle and growth. It is never about where you are or have been, but where you are going. There is always hope.
The path I have walked has never been easy, but i’m grateful for the difficult lessons i’ve learned. I am excited and optimistic for the healthy life ahead of me and the new challenges. Below are some photos of me during this time and as the years progress, I will update more.
Thanks
