Jesse Riggins Loves to Photograph Weird Weirdos

Jesse Riggins is a 30 year-old queer feminist photographer hailing from Pennsylvania, who loves to capture raw and weird characters with her Pentax IQ-Zoom. Jesse’s photos delve into an oddball realm of mannequin heads, punk shows, and irregular people with irregular lifestyles. Using super stealth stalking powers, I managed to track Jesse down through her Tumblr so I could get to know her a bit better before she took off for a three week tour with Waxahatchee. Here’s how that went. Vice: First things first, where do you come from and what was it like?
Jesse: I grew up in the woods of eastern Pennsylvania where I spent most of my time looking for salamanders and gnomes. My parents were carpenters and built the house we lived in. There are plenty of photos that my sister and I took of each other modeling dresses we fashioned out of towels and sheets. I’m the youngest of three and we kept ourselves entertained for sure. How did you get into photography?
My earliest memories of photography are from class trips I took in elementary school. Even then I had the urge to document my life and the people in it. I would spend hours going through shoeboxes full of old photos under my parents’ bed and wanted to make sure I could look back on my life in the same way. I was always the annoying kid with the camera.

A lot of photographers are turning to digital photography these days. Why do you stick to film?
I use film because digital photography wasn’t around in the early 90’s when I started shooting. I tried digital later when I had access to one of those Sony Mavica cameras that took a floppy disk. There’s a huge hole in the timeline of my life because the computer I stored those photos on is rotting away in a landfill somewhere. For the last ten years or so it’s been mostly film.

What’s the story behind the red sequined dress? I’ve seen it in a few of your photos being worn by different people.
I have been selling vintage clothes online for a few years and parties at my house often end with me outfitting everyone in beautiful vintage gowns. My friend Nat was visiting from Australia and fell in love with that particular dress and even went swimming in it.

A few weeks ago we were celebrating a friend’s birthday in Atlantic City and in walks this girl I had just met wearing the exact same dress. My heart skipped a beat and naturally I asked if I could take a photo. This past weekend I found that same dress in a thrift store while visiting family in Florida. I can’t seem to get away from it!

I’m so jealous. I want it so badly. What’s your favorite thing in the world to shoot?
I love taking photos of people and plants at night. The flash on my camera is really harsh, making the subject really blown out while leaving a stark black background.  I’m also really into dollar stores and the repetitive nature of them. A row of microwavable cheeseburgers is both funny and beautiful to me.

Did you ever study photography or is your talent all-natural?
I took a black and white photo class in community college for the dark room access, but any talent I have as a photographer is completely natural.

That’s totally awesome! When did you realize you’re really good at taking photos?
It was probably when I started taking photos at punk shows in the late 90s and got really good feedback from my peers and older punks that I looked up to. That sounds corny as hell but it’s true. People need to encourage each other to create things. A few people have told me recently that I’ve inspired them to start taking photos, which is enough to make me want to cry.

What was your first camera and what are you using now?
I’m pretty sure I started out with one of those 110 cameras, you know the film that looks like a telephone? From there it was crappy point and shoot to crappy point and shoot. I remember in sixth grade my mom bought me one that automatically wound to the next frame and it was revolutionary to me. A little later my grandma gave me her AE-1 so I read books and taught myself what all of those bells and whistles were. I hate the bells and whistles and really just love the simplicity of a 35mm point and shoot. What you see through the viewfinder is not accurate and you have to learn how to compensate for that, which is why the tops of everyone’s heads are cut off.

I’ve amassed quite a collection of different brands, formats, and kinds of cameras over the years—but now I use a Pentax IQ-Zoom, a camera that can be found at your local thrift store for $2.99.

Do you have a favorite location to shoot in or a favorite subject?
My photos are mostly just of whoever I’m hanging out with at the time or whatever band I’m watching, which could mean we’re in a bathroom, a dark basement or a swimming hole somewhere. Sometimes I’ll see a really nice looking bush or wall and ask to take a photo of them in front of it. I also really love taking photos of drummers, especially female drummers, because I am one and I think they are often ignored in music photography.

Where do you find all these interesting characters in your photos? Are they all friends or are some of them complete strangers?
There are a few recurring characters in my photos and consider them to be muses. Some I’ve known for years and other I’ve met more recently. They are used to me digging around in my bag looking for my camera and know what I’m up to. If I see a stranger in a store or walking down the street who looks really nice I’ll work up some courage and ask if I can take a picture. Some people say no, but it’s ok because consent is really important to me.

Do you plan your photos or are they all spur of the moment?
The majority of my photos are unplanned. I am simply documenting the people and things around me. If someone’s getting a haircut on the porch, I’ll take a photo. If someone’s putting lipstick on in the mirror, I’ll take a photo. If someone’s wearing a scary mask and sitting on my bed eating pizza, I’ll definitely take a photo. Even the most mundane, everyday type of stuff can look really interesting through my camera lens.

Check out all of Jesse’s photos on her internet site. Follow Gabe on Twitter: @gabekill

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