I FIRST PICKED UP A CAMERA WHEN I WAS 19 YEARS OLD. IT WAS MY SOPHOMORE YEAR OF COLLEGE AND I NEEDED ONE MORE CLASS IN MY SCHEDULE. I SAW PHOTOGRAPHY 101 AND KNEW I LIKED THE PROFESSOR FROM A PREVIOUS CLASS SO I SIGNED UP. I HAD NO KNOWLEDGE ON HOW TO WORK A CAMERA, COMPOSE A PHOTOGRAPH, OR REALLY CREATE ANY KIND OF ART.

I LEARNED A TON AND I THINK WE ALL LOVED THE CLASS. AFTER THE CLASS ENDED THAT SEMESTER, I KEPT TAKING PHOTOS OCCASIONALLY OF RANDOM THINGS I FOUND IN RANDOM PLACES. I KEPT LEARNING MORE OF THE CONTROLS AND HOW THEY AFFECTED A PHOTO. THE MORE I DID IT, THE MORE IT GREW ON ME. MY JUNIOR YEAR OF COLLEGE, I DECIDED TO CHANGE MY MAJOR BUT I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT I WANTED TO DO FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. THAT WAS WHEN I REALIZED MY PASSION FOR PHOTOGRAPHY, AT 21 YEARS OLD.

I TOOK IT FROM THERE AND THANKS TO THAT PROFESSOR AND YOUTUBE U, I PRETTY MUCH GOT EVERYTHING DOWN TO MUSCLE MEMORY. AT TIMES, IF I WAS AWAKE, I WAS TAKING PHOTOS. I WOULD DO THAT UNTIL I LEARNED THAT BURNOUT IS A REAL THING, NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU LOVE DOING SOMETHING. I STARTED WITH ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHY, BUT THERE WASN’T MUCH OF THE MODERN ARCHITECTURE THAT I LOVE WHERE I’M FROM, SO I WOULD MAKE TRIPS TO MEMPHIS OR JACKSON OCCASIONALLY.

I DID MY FIRST PORTRAIT SHOOTS BY ASKING FRIENDS IF THEY’D MODEL FOR ME AND EVENTUALLY PEOPLE SAW MY WORK AND I MOVED INTO BOOKING CLIENTS. I’VE ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN FASHION SO I’VE LOVED BEING ABLE TO DOCUMENT OTHER PEOPLE’S FASHION DURING SHOOTS.

I GOT MORE INTO SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY WHEN GIVEN THE CHANCE WHILE WORKING FOR A PAPER IN OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI. SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY IS SO DIFFERENT IN THAT YOU CAN ONLY CONTROL SO MUCH OF YOUR PHOTO, AND I THINK THAT’S WHAT I LOVE ABOUT IT. I DO ENJOY GETTING THOSE IN-BETWEEN-ACTION SHOTS THAT SOMETIMES COMBINE PORTRAITURE AND SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY.

I HAVE PLENTY OF ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT BUT I’LL ALWAYS BE PROUD OF HOW FAR WE’VE COME. ANY TIME SOMEONE COMPLIMENTS MY WORK, ALL OF THE LITERAL BLOOD, SWEAT, AND TEARS I’VE PUT IN RUN THROUGH MY MIND, SO IT JUST MEANS A LITTLE MORE.

“YOU EITHER HAVE AN EYE FOR IT OR YOU DON’T,” IS A LIE. IF YOU’VE WANTED TO PICK UP AN ART, BUT DON’T THINK YOU’RE CREATIVE ENOUGH FOR IT, JUST START NOW. CREATIVITY IS EARNED AND GROWN, NOT SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO BE BORN WITH. IT’S A MATTER OF KNOWING THE RULES OF YOUR ART, KNOWING HOW TO USE THEM, AND HOW TO PROPERLY BREAK THEM TO EXPRESS WHAT YOU NEED TO EXPRESS.

IF YOU BELIEVE YOU ARE THE BEST YOU CAN BE, YOUR PRIDE MIGHT JUST BE THE DEATH OF YOU. I DON’T BELIEVE ANYONE EVER REACHES THEIR FULL POTENTIAL IN ANYTHING. WHETHER THAT’S ART, SPORTS, OR WHATEVER YOU CHOOSE TO DO WITH YOUR LIFE, THERE’S ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT AND MORE TO LEARN, AND THAT’S WHAT I’M SEEKING.