Photo Stories Week One: The Beginning

Storytelling is one of the most powerful art forms us humans have. The ability to tell a captivating story through words on paper allows the rest of us to go along for the ride with the author. But what about through a photo? As silly of a question as it may sound, any picture you take tells some type of story. It could tell the viewer how you were feeling, where you were, or who you were with. It's one of the most interesting parts about photography, and one of the main reasons why I decided to pursue this form of art. 

When I first got into photography, I was like most amateurs who were new to the space. I didn't know how to frame shots or use the settings on my camera the correct way. It was very frustrating in the beginning, and I wasn't getting any positive results back on any of the practice I was putting into it. But like anything, it takes time the motivation to learn new things. This led me to finally capturing a frame which became my first quality shot I took on my camera. 

The frame I captured was everything a photographer could ever ask for in a picture.The first thing I noticed when I looked at the screen was the framing. The picture was taken between two giant crates sitting beside a railroad track in the middle of nowhere, The dimensions are almost equal with the subject placed in the middle. What this creates is something called a depth of feel. There are multiples layers to the photo, starting with the crates on both sides, then the subject in the middle, and finally the train car tagged with graffiti in the background. 

The most important reason why this is still one of my favorite pictures is because of the story it tells. This picture always reminds me of where I started in photography to where I am now over a year later. It was taken off a beaten trail a couple miles from a train station in the middle of Newark, OH. The subject though is the biggest part of the story though. Aaron Sharp is an incredible photographer who graduated from Ohio Northern a couple years ago when I was just beginning my college career. He was and always will be my biggest inspiration who opened my eyes to a whole new world and whole new creative space. It was my first shoot I ever went on with my camera, and I learned so much from that day, like how you are constantly learning something new, and how to step ot f your comfort zone to truly pursue something you love.It was my first of many stories I have collected with my camera, and there are plenty more to capture.