Born in Great Yarmouth, raised between Norfolk and Ireland, and schooled at Notre Dame in Norwich, Jarowan grew up fixing, playing and talking about cars.
“I became obsessed with all things automotive from a very early age. All I wanted to do was learn to drive; it became my ultimate goal. I absolutely love cars and that hasn’t diminished over time. My first car was a blue Mini Clubman van, as I needed space for my dog! The car I would most like to own/photograph is a 1974 Porsche Carrera RS in orange – so if anyone out there owns one ...”
After A-Levels, Jarowan went on to study graphic design at the then Norwich School of Art and Design, which is where he discovered his affinity for the camera. He graduated in 1997 with a degree in Design and Photography. “When I walked away with the Association of Photographers Student Award for Editorial Photography with a project entitled Car: Saint or Sinner? something inside clicked and I knew I had found my calling.”
Being a petrol-head in the county meant all roads would eventually lead to Lotus, albeit for Jarowan, via an 18-month detour at the James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as a medical photographer. “Although working at the hospital wasn’t where I expected to find myself, I learned a lot of skills that I later used in my role as staff photographer at Lotus, where I worked for six years,” he explains. “The internals of an engine and the insides of a human and the techniques used to photograph them are surprisingly similar. Both are messy! At the hospital you had to be slightly detached because things weren’t always very pleasant, you had to learn to focus on what you were doing and not allow the emotion of the situation to take over. I was still working with film then and if you didn’t get it right you didn’t know until the film was processed, but by then it was too late, so it was crucial to stay focused on the moment to make sure you got what the doctor, consultant, or whomever you were working for needed.
“The same discipline applies when you are photographing a racing car around a track. There’s a certain amount of pressure, but once you know what you are doing, plan out the job and think about what you have got to achieve and stay focused on that, all is usually fine.”
Since striking out on his own, Jarowan (or JP to those that can’t pronounce his Irish name) has photographed everything from an Aston Martin bicycle to a Caterham Formula One car, and in 2008, co-founded an automotive lifestyle magazine. “I have been fortunate to work all around the world for manufacturers and private clients. Interestingly, some of my favourite shots were taken here in Norfolk. There is an abundance of amazing locations to choose from, and don’t get me started on our incredible skies.”
Jarowanpower.co.uk
