By Olivia Jade Khoury
The rose that grew from concrete carries a camera. Isiah Jones is a San Diego native using the art of vision to shed light on his community and be an example to the younger generation. With a camera in his hand since 2003, Isiah has been able to work on countless projects in the city and build his network, as well as his portfolio. Through his career of an entrepreneurial artist, Isiah is paving the way for other young, Black creatives to make a name for themselves and tell their story, all by telling his own through the lens.
Currently, Isiah is working on a project with The Jacobs Center, finishing school at City College and planning his own solo photography exhibit coming in June. He also helps other creatives in the community including Dauche Bates and Geminelle Robbins. Two driven and successful women in the music sphere. The more he works, the more his passion drives him to get deeper into the roots of where he’s from and build more.
Isiah’s journey to becoming the top visual creative out of San Diego has been an intermingling of fate, passion and hustle. His childhood story is interwoven with enough realism and hip hop-charged elements that could be something out of a Kendrick Lamar concept album. A prodigious Black child balancing the influence of street life, passion of creating art, hustling to create a sustainable life, and enjoying the roots of oneself but trying to reach a higher calling, with all of the extras in-between.
After gaining a soul-gripping admiration for a friend’s music video production (which he became a part of), Isiah’s passion for the camera was solidified. He continued on to make videos with local hip-hop artists in San Diego, attend film school, and then ventured out into photography and film.
“Being from Southeast San Diego, there’s a lot of gang activity and there’s a high crime rate, said Isiah. “My goal is to be a product of my environment but not getting caught up being a product of my environment, i.e. becoming part of the system, going to jail, having kids and not taking care of them.”
One thing that is evident about Isiah is that he knows exactly who he is and where he comes from – Lincoln Park. Today, he takes these influences that he was surrounded by as a kid and uses them to his advantage. Street smarts became a competitive advantage in building his own business, a production company called ‘London Lane Productions’. The hustle that he witnessed in his neighborhood and from his older cousins became the drive that is instilled in him today. His goal is to take everything he’s learned and turn it into an opportunity, especially for those that are younger than him and learning to find their own selves.
“What I did was I took something that was always viewed in a negative light and put a positive light on it. I’ve learned how to apply those street smarts into business and into art. I’m always getting told ‘know your worth’. As crazy as that sounds, that phrase comes from a drug culture – like who has the best product? The person with the best product is going to sell out faster because the demand is there. That’s what I bring into the art world.”
With only a year and a half under his belt for photography, Isiah has made quite the name for himself in the community. By moon, he shoots nightlife photography for a few well-known clubs in the Gaslamp District. By sun, he brings his talents to organizations in the community such as The Jacobs Center, thChrch in Barrio Logan, and Museum of Man.
London Lane Productions is the child of a hustle and a dream. It’s a living testament to the work that one can create from nothing. As Isiah says, with hard-work, consistency, and dedication, he wants to let his community know that anything is possible. This is not to say that his production company is Isiah’s last stop on his success train. Up next for this entrepreneurial artist? Film festivals and a school for the youth to help shape their creative abilities and skills in the arts.
With Isiah’s hand in many different communities, he is still rooted in the place that birthed him. His work is not in vain. All of Isiah’s efforts are working towards paving the way for younger generations in the Southeast community. Isiah has a clear philosophy when it comes to accomplishing this goal.
“Just keep working hard. Look at your situation, take what you have, even if that may be nothing, and keep working hard. Make the best situation out of your situation. To the younger generation: find what you want to do in life fast. We live in an era now where you can start a business while working a part-time job and have that business become a success in a few years. It’s all about educating yourself, gaining knowledge, going out and chasing your dream. Create a dream. Find something you want to do and do it every day. Never doubt yourself.”
Isiah’s story is one of creating a life of passion and determination despite where the seed was laid. The rose from concrete carries a camera – isn’t that a picture worth a thousand words?
You can contact Isiah at London Lane Productions on Facebook or @CinemaZae on Twitter/Instagram
