Life is like photography: You miss 100% of the shots you don't take

American photographer Aaron Siskin once said, “photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever…It remembers the little things long after you have forgotten everything.” Like Siskin, many other photographers seem to agree on the basic principle that photography has much more to offer than what lays on the surface. It’s is more than just taking a picture, merely capturing an image. Rather, some see it as a form of art used as a tool to express emotion, capture moments in time or tell a story. Others use the craft for business opportunities and economic means of support.  

“Photography has just been something I was always interested in” says professional photographer Jaye Byrd, creator of Bird’s Eye’ photography. “It tells a story. You can go back months later, even years later and actually feel what happened in that moment. I like to do a lot of candid pictures. I can look at a something and automatically see a picture out of it whether its people laughing, having a good time or kids arguing. Whatever it is, I like the thrill of capturing emotion.”  

Her business, Birds Eye Photography, was started seven years ago. Initially, Jaye was interested in videography, but she quickly discovered her true calling for photography on accident at a gathering for a family friend. “I went out and bought all this nice equipment. I started out taking pictures of my kids, but I really wanted to be a videographer.”  

The first gig she had was for a family friend doing videography, but the original photographer canceled last minute. Despite their absence, Jaye rose to the occasion and took on the challenge. Remembering her first professional photography experience, Jaye exclaims “I just jumped right in and I loved it!” From that moment on, she chose to stick with photography and hasn’t looked back since. Of course Jaye isn’t the only one who uses photography for business opportunities.

James Copeland, Photographer

James Copeland, a Bowie Maryland native and founder of J-see Photography, runs a business as well and shares similar reasons for pursuing photography. Capturing moments in time is rewarding for him, and he “uses the camera to study the craft.” He began taking photography seriously in the summer of 2015. “I chose photography because once you take a picture of someone, they’re immortalized forever” he said. Although these are James’ first few years as a professional, he is quickly learning more about himself and the craft.

“The longer I’ve been doing this I’ve noticed that every time I have a photoshoot, I can look back and see how much I’ve grown from the previous one. It gives me this power because I can look at my past and see how far my work has come. At the same time, I can use this craft to plan for my future” James says. Although he is uncertain where his future may take him, he knows art will be a part of it.

 Today, James is using his passion for photography as an economic opportunity. As a student at Bowie State University, he does photoshoots for other students and for different events to earn money on the side while building his portfolio. Beyond simply earning a paycheck, he decided to make it his purpose to capture the culture of his campus. Part of this initiative means “trying to ingrain myself with the resources on campus.” 

Gems of BSU, is an independent blog that highlights the perspectives of Bowie’s State through the lens of a diverse group of people. “I decided to start my own photography business [J-see photography] and it’s been an incredible journey but at the same time it’s been scary. I had a job, but I decided to walk away from my job to succeed as an entrepreneur and as a photographer.” Deciding to risk it all, he began perfecting his skillset behind the camera and turned it into a marketable business. “People don’t understand how transformative it is to walk away from your job to pursue a craft that’s not promised. There’s going to be times when you need to reach out to people for money because you’re not going to always have it.”

 But if there’s one thing James has taken away from the process, it’s the value of a dollar. 

“Once you do start getting money and become consistent at it through the work, the high moments are incredible. And again, you get to look back on those moments from clients who were really happy with their photos. Stuff like that makes you want to keep going.” By in large, photography has been tied to a big chunk of James’ life, impacting his development as a person and supporting his economic needs. Be that as it may, James is not the only one who was influenced by photography within a campus environment. 

Robert Hein, who teaches here at Frostburg State University was exposed to the art of photography while studying painting in the mid 90’s at the University of Cincinnati. For the past ten years, he has been teaching photography and hosting exhibits that feature the artwork of other faculty and artists in the area. For Hein, it was a “buildup of things” that led him to his passion for photography and profession teaching it. 

When he was in college, DSLR cameras were not prominent so film had to be developed and processed the old-fashion way with light and chemistry. “That’s where I got the bug for being in the dark room,” he recollects, “I just like the process of film. It’s a very traditional space to be in.” Working with film back then had just as much of an impact on Hein as it does today. His niche for developing film has carried over to the classroom where he assigns students projects throughout the semester that require them to be immersed in the film process. In the end, they have printouts of the pictures they took using film cameras. 

One student, Tierra Brown, who recently graduated from Frostburg in 2016, continues to use the photography skills she gained as an undergrad for branding and media purposes. “I got into photography the first time I saw a polaroid camera when I was in the first grade. I was so fascinated with it,” she says. Her passion for photography grew once she found photo albums her family kept. “I would spend hours looking at them and imagining the stories behind each picture.” During her four years at Frostburg, she built her audience from the ground up using photography, videography, and blogs. She has worked with other talented students on campus, many of whom were tapped into different facets of pop culture. More importantly, this symbiotic relationship has helped her business expand and propelled her career as a media specialist. 

Lil Uzi performs at Frostburg 2016, captured by Tierra Brown

Even though she enjoys taking pictures of women the most, one of her most memorable moments behind the camera happened when Lil Uzi came to perform at Frostburg. “That was history. I got some great footage and pictures,” she says. Overall, “Shooting different events and people helped to increase my clientele, progress my career in photography, and it gave me the confidence to venture into other avenues and start Pxfitness.” 

Like most entrepreneurs in today’s day in age, Brown’s ambitious drive is complemented by her biggest marketing tool, social media. Her Instagram and twitter pages (@Tbrownmedia) showcase all of her media components. Her photography set the foundation of her brand and has helped mold her into the woman she is today. “T. Brown is its own entity that keeps growing every day. I started with the photography but now here I am with a fitness brand as well.” Her website originally started out as a place to purchase merchandise for her project, The Pineapple Express, . (All of the merchandise was designed by T.Brown herself. caption) an artist showcase featuring various musicians from the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area. This event paved the way for underground artist from different areas to come together as music lovers. Since last year, the Pineapple Express has already hosted six events in Philadelphia, D.C., Atlanta and other venues up and down the east coast.

Nevertheless, Tierra’s reason for using photography as a business module evolved into something bigger once she realized her purpose. “I want to help others who are struggling to lose weight. Along with my photography, videography and artist showcases this site will house merchandise for my fitness brand; Pxfiness wear.” Fortunately, Tierra has been doing photography for so long that it has enabled her to be independent with the marketing for PXfitness wear. “I don’t need to hire anyone to take pictures of my clothing since I can do it,” she says. Her business https://www.pxfitnesswear.com/, has been steadily thriving since its launch three years ago.

This experience is vastly different from Johnathon Gainey, whose still in the beginning stages of his photography. He is striving to further his skills with the art while being a part time student at Prince George’s Community College. Someday, he hopes to use his Nikkon D 32 to travel. “I would love to travel to Rome or Japan,” he says. For now, photography remains a side hobby, but he hopes to get better with it in his spare time.

Though all of these visionaries may be at different stages in their photography careers, the love for the craft connects them all. Whether you’re a novice or a professional, it’s hard to deny the vast opportunities that await in photography.

By JJ Jones