“The golden hour sun was beautiful this day, and I realized how pretty it looked on my white electric guitar. Barely noticeable, but one of the strings of the guitar was broken.
Still makes for a nice shot, though,” says the author.

Art lies in every nook and cranny of the Earth. In my family’s case, we like to capture these moments of beauty. Photographing everything that catches our eyes is now merely a habit, and I’m grateful every day that humans have the freedom to do so.

I am raised by two extremely talented photographers. Watching them turn life experiences into photographs that embody the mood and feeling of the environment perfectly has continued to inspire me over the years. I learn something new from the people around me every day.

I was around the age of 9 when I started getting into photography more. I took photos of trees, people, and I would even watch videos on YouTube talking about photography. By the time I turned 11, it was a trend on Instagram to have a curated feed that followed a specific theme. Since I wanted to post throughout the week, I would keep my eye open for things to shoot.

“One of the projects I was given from my dad was to come up with around five images by the end of the day. The sunset this day was beautiful, so I decided to capture the soft, cotton
clouds behind our roof-deck lights.”

My family began to notice my intrigue and interest in photography, and my parents allowed me to use their professional cameras every now and then. I grew up around cameras, considering my parents’ job in the media industry.

My dad soon enough began teaching me different techniques, whether that be related to lighting or the type of shutter speed to use. I learned that these different assets contribute immensely to the final look or feel of the image. I definitely began to fall in love with the action of capturing moments frozen in time.

I began working with companies when I turned 13. Some would send their products for me to shoot, or I would head over to their restaurant to snap a few pictures of the food. I would also accompany my parents during shoots and even capture a few photos for the client as well.

“I was going for a walk when Ipassed by my neighbor’s bush. If I knew I would find thes eflowers, I would’ve taken a professional camera with me. Unfortunately I didn’t, but I liked the outcome either way. This was taken on my iPhone,” the author says.

I’m 14 now, and I love collaborating with other people and being able to bring their ideas to life. So far I’ve worked with food stores, makeup companies, clothing brands and more. I wouldn’t have this opportunity if it wasn’t for my parents and their support, especially when it comes to giving me the freedom of expressing myself through my creative outlet.

If anything, photography has taught me the importance of looking at the world through different lenses and perspectives, seeing how I can turn regular day-to-day things into pieces of art. Looking at the world from different points of view has taught me to find beauty even in the most unusual places and I find that life is more interesting lived that way.

I probably wouldn’t have found my passion for photography if it wasn’t for my parents’ constant support. They encourage freedom of expression, and that’s a quality I will bring with me once I have children of my own.

Being able to take simple, almost mundane things and turn them into something breathtaking by switching your perspective is a gift that we have, and I wish humans cherished more often.

—CONTRIBUTED