Jaka Vinšek
Jaka Vinšek is a Slovenian-born photographer and cinematographer based in Brooklyn, New York. His personal projects explore diverse cultures and alternative lifestyles, seeking intimate moments within the unfamiliar. His photography is focused on the passion of others, from athletes pushing their bodies to the limit, to medical professionals helping those in need.
Jaka has shot two award-winning, feature-length documentaries: Defining Hope, which examines the end of life treatment in America, and The American Nurse, which showcases the incredible stories of nurses across the country.
Jaka helped bring Seed to fruition through his stunning human body photography which you can find across our website and on our social media.
In conversation with Jaka:
Share your life story in six words:
Freckles, Cherries, Snowboarding, Alps, Photography, Adventure.
When was your first brush with science?
At age 5 I got my first lesson in physics: spitting forward on a bicycle doesn’t work.
What’s your current obsession? In other words, what wakes you up every morning?
Convincing people around me that they can be as happy as they are even if they buy less of unnecessary stuff.
What makes your line of work uniquely human?
I care about the people I photograph.
Why do you think bacteria are important?
Life as we know it wouldn’t exist without.
How do you define science?
Not sure, but I love that there’s no room for religion and personal opinions while practicing it.
How do you define health?
Being able to support myself and move around.
What are you currently reading / listening / watching?
Documentaries about health, food and exploitation of human beings and animal world. Loved “What A Health.”
Favorite microbiome-nurturing food?
Raw honey in the honeycomb.
Scientist, dead or alive, you’d like to eat it with?
Jacque Fresco (futurist).
Favorite science joke or best mindgasm fact?
Driving with helium balloon in a car. When accelerating it goes forward not back.
What made you decide to start photographing people?
I was too shy to talk to them, but had enough courage to ask if I can take a photo and conversation followed easier.
The song you get sh*t done to:
Wide Open–The Chemicals Brothers.
One fact most people don’t know about you:
At 17, I claimed that I was a woman trapped inside of a man’s body to try and get out of the army.