Being a photographer isn’t about the amount of likes or comments you can get on your pictures. It’s not about making money for clicking a button. To me, being a photographer is more than just a hobby or a job. It’s about seeing the world in a way that other people don’t and being able to show the world how you see it. It’s a passion, an art of expression, and a way of life

Ever since I was young, I loved taking pictures. I took pictures of everything. I took pictures of my friends, my siblings, my pets, my friends’ siblings and pets, nature, and any other kinds of things I could find that would make a cool picture. The more pictures I took, the more passionate I became about it. I took a photography class in high school that only further fed my love for taking pictures and eventually led to me knowing that taking photographs was what I wanted to do for a career. Now I’m a photojournalism major in college and am working towards making my passion my career. Even though I’m making a career out of it, it’s not about the job or the money. It’s about being able to do what I love for the rest of my life and always being able to show the world my perspective.

Everyone sees the world, but being a photographer is about how you see it. Photographers see the world in a way different than most people and taking pictures is just a way to capture it. We see a moment that will never happen exactly the same again and we take a picture so that the moment can last forever. We see the world’s beauty and we create an image out of it so that we can appreciate it for a lifetime. We see things from all kinds of different angles and approaches and we capture them to share them with the people who don’t normally see them the way we do. We have an appreciation for people and places and things that excites us so much that we just have to share it with everyone. Our photos tell a story of where we’ve been and what we’ve seen. There’s no feeling more rewarding than going through your pictures after a shoot and being able to relive moments through those photos from the time that they were taken. It’s also a form of expression that gives us a voice. Behind my camera is where I truly feel the most confident and unafraid to step out of my comfort zone. I’ve grown more as a person being behind the camera and interacting with the subjects I shoot than I have from any other experiences in my life. Photography has developed my voice as an individual and being behind the camera allows you to experience the world to your fullest potential because when you’re a photographer, you’ll do anything to capture the perfect picture of the perfect moment. It can lead to so many experiences that you probably wouldn’t come across if you didn’t take the time to just wander around and take in the moments that surround you on a daily basis.

Everyone won’t share the same passion that us photographers share, but if I could encourage you to do anything at all, I would encourage you to try to see things through a different lens. Grab a camera and look at the world in a way you never have before. Venture out to your favorite place and show the world why you love it so much or even venture to a place you’ve never been before and explore its beauty. Take pictures of people and capture moments that will never be the same a second time around. Use it as a way to express yourself and you just might find a love for it like we did.