Photography is an art that is not only a soul-touching experience but also a gateway to spreading inspiration and memories.  

Here at Elkhart High School, there are various students who are engaging in hobbies and extracurricular activities that drive their souls. Highlighting Senior Tristan Bryson, he has demonstrated his talent through his photographic methods. One day, Bryson found himself with some free extra time on his hands and decided to pick up a camera. 

Bryson says, “I was at one of my friends’ houses who had a digital Sony camera and I asked him how much I could pay for it—not expecting an answer—but he told me $50. So then I just started taking pictures of random things.” Bryson adds, “I began to want a bigger camera so I got my first one and formed my platform on Instagram (tbr.flicks).” From there, he started noticing how much attention and supporters he was gaining for his work. He then decided he wanted to put himself out there in his school community, so he began travelling to football and basketball games, swim meets, and other variant sports. Students at EHS started noticing Bryson and his work more and asked him to take their photos. He started curating memories at events like prom, car shows, and out-of-the-blue photoshoots with friends. 

 After noticing the audience he was grasping, Bryson noticed that he only wanted to improve from there. Bryson states, “A few months later, I traded my camera for another significantly better one—the Sony A7riii—and loved it. It’s a pretty expensive camera but worth the money.” Gear wise, Bryson is about $4,000-$5,000 into it. He notes that photography is really fun to get into, but it can get pretty expensive.

Bryson is a freelance photographer that takes pictures of any and everything—from wildlife to architecture. He enjoys having the power to create art for others and that it is all up to him to create whatever he desires. “A sense of satisfaction is felt when I am taking photos. It makes me feel good when the pictures come out ten times better than I imagined,” Bryson adds.   

Bryson gratefully says, “Photography has changed my life in many ways. There are people who look up to me and compliment me on my photos, and I love it.” Photography is something that he wants to continue to pursue in the future. A lot of money and dedication has gone into Bryson’s work, so he wants to maintain his investments to his craft. 

For Bryson, photography is a powerful tool that opened up a wide variety of opportunities for his future. Great things are coming for such a hard-working individual, striving through passion and photography.