Seeing Life Through a Different Lens: How Camera Helped Warriors Photographer Overcome Depression

In front of the camera, you'll see Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry splashing a look-away 3-pointer, Andrew Wiggins posterizing a defender or Jordan Poole flashing his handles. Behind the camera, you'll find Jordan Jimenez, a 25-year-old freelance photographer who utilized the art form to beat back depression.

"The fact that my camera has allowed me to be in all of these different places and be around these incredible people, that's been amazing," Jimenez said. "It's crazy just how many doors photography opened for me."

Rewinding to the mid-2010s, Jimenez was in a much different headspace. The San Francisco native's grandmother had died, his parents were going through a divorce, and he was feeling the pressure of locking down scholarships to pay for school.

"It kind of just takes you to a dark place when you see so many different things going on," Jimenez said. "Definitely a rough time for me, just wasn't seeing life in the right way. Didn't really want to be here, to be honest."

Jimenez had always loved the game of basketball, but his hooping days had come to an end. He knew he needed to find a new outlet in life.

"For me at that time, I was going through a depression that had lasted maybe six, seven years," he said. "For me as a [high school] senior, I decided, 'OK, I need to do something new.' I love basketball, but obviously I'm not playing at the time. I just figured I needed something completely different, completely new and something to change my life and the way that I see life. For whatever reason, I was drawn to the camera."

Picking up a camera changed everything. Walking around San Francisco and snapping photos, Jimenez came to learn the ins and outs of photography, all the while chipping away at his depression.

"Fast forward all the way to 2023, it was just throughout that time I combined my love for basketball and my newfound love for photography as a way to combat my depression and just see life in a different way," he said.

Shifting his perspective is what helped make the difference, he said.

"Being able to see that there's so many beautiful things in this life, whether that's the places that you go to, the people that you meet, just every experience in life, there's something beautiful about it," he said. "You just kind of have to look for it."

Jimenez knew he wanted his career to somehow feature basketball and his beloved Warriors, especially after spending his childhood cheering on the Dubs at Oracle Arena, the team's former home, famous for its spirited and deafening atmosphere.

"For me it was just always a dream just because of the energy behind it," he said. "Obviously the Warriors weren't very good at the time, but there was just something about it and just the energy, being in Oracle, just being around basketball."

These days, Jimenez can be found inside Chase Center, Golden State's new home, and other NBA arenas, capturing the Warriors' iconic moments as a freelancer. Being able to photograph the team has been a welcome surprise, one that Jimenez doesn't take for granted.

"For me to now work so closely with the Warriors and some of the players on the team has been a dream come true," he said.

While he's riding high, Jimenez admitted that his depression never fully goes away. But he has the tools now to fight back.

"Being able to know how to manage those feelings when they come up and kind of switch perspective and realize there's a lot of beautiful things going on," he said.

He encourages everyone do pursue their passions and never stop chasing their dreams, no matter how wild they may seem.

"Life is such a short thing," he said. "There's not really time to waste time. For me, I just want people to be able to see how much is possible if you really commit to it."

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.