Wes Lester Associate in Arts/ University Transfer Florida Community College, Class of 1982

That One Thing

Wes Lester
Associate in Arts/University Transfer
Florida Community College, Class of 1982

Take a look at photographer Wes Lester’s work and his affection for Northeast Florida’s natural spaces is clearly evident. That affection comes from a childhood spent outdoors. Wes remembers his Mandarin neighborhood in the mid-sixties, before development came to Jacksonville. “I would run out of the house on a weekend morning and not come home until dinner that evening, tired from a long day of biking or exploring the woods. I remember dirt roads, sneaking onto private properties to fish, mom-and-pop rib places. We lived on the river, so I spent many hours fishing and walking along the bank to find Timucuan Indian artifacts.”

After graduating from Wolfson High School, Wes chose Florida Community College for its “small college” feel. One class in particular still stands out in his mind — philosophy with instructor Frank Pollard. “He would offer ideas as open-ended questions, without infusing his beliefs into them or making pronouncements. After class, a group of us would gather at the snack bar and continue the classroom discussion at a big round table. To me, sitting at that table and arguing with other students was the essence of a great learning experience.”

After graduating from FCCJ with his associate in arts degree in 1982, Wes transferred to the University of Florida to pursue a bachelor’s degree in communications. “I thought I wanted to be a writer because I had done so well in English and composition courses in high school,” he says. His program of study included a photojournalism course, and it was there that Wes says he fell in love with photography, but still didn’t consider it as a practical career option. Luckily, his first job with the Florida Times-Union gave him the opportunity to both write and take photos. Wes would spend 10 years at the paper as an editorial and advertising photographer.

Today Wes is the official photographer for the City of Jacksonville. He’s responsible for many iconic images of the city and has photographed events like the Jacksonville Jazz Festival and the Sea and Sky Spectacular. His work of Northeast Florida’s natural spaces for the city’s Preservation Project was recently published as the book “Just Miles from Downtown.” Wes’ photos of Castaway Island, Reddie Point Reserve and other preservation areas present a wild beauty of which many Jacksonville residents aren’t even aware. Works from the book have been shown at the Main Library downtown, as well as the Jacksonville Landing. It’s available for sale at the Main Library and City Hall.

Speaking about the book, Wes ties it into his larger philosophy. “I believe in specialization, and the fierce determination to be excellent at one thing,” he says. “A lot of photographers will find that ‘one thing’ — that one type of image they will continually pursue. The Preservation photos have been that ‘obsession’ to some degree; this work has helped define for me what it means to follow through with that determination.”