Photography, the art of capturing still images, also captures the heart of NC Senior Gary Kinyanjui. The self-taught photographer participates in dual enrollment and only attends school in person twice a week, leaving him an abundance of time to hone his craft in photography. Although he does not possess much past experience with photography, Kinyanjui brought it upon himself to pick up a camera and perfect techniques that he previously learned in the film class at NC. 

“I just wanted a hobby and I am doing full-time dual enrollment, so I wanted to do something on the three weekdays I don’t have school. I looked around for a camera and I found one for a good deal and the camera works great. I’ve always been a creative person, I used to do the film class here. I like editing and all of that, and that’s what made me essentially take up photography. Video editing is just a really long process, while photography is similar but a lot shorter, more fun and easier to share with some people,” Kinyanjui said. 

To boost his photography clientele, Kinyanjui currently holds photoshoots with NC students and posts pictures on social media platforms. When someone approaches him and inquires about pictures, Kinyanjui typically figures out what theme and location would suit them best and they then discuss it prior to the photo shoot. These locations can range from local parks to his home studio, which provides variety and diversity in his pictures. For the month of May, he will hold a special where people can buy a $50 package including professionally edited and retouched portraits, as well as time to review and handpick pictures after the session. 

Because photography captivates him to a great extent, Kinyanjui hopes to fulfill a career in it long term. If that does not seem like a feasible choice, he hopes to continue taking pictures in college because it pays decent money, especially for a college kid with little to no income. He hopes to get his name out there so that people can mention his name and they automatically know Gary Kinyanjui. LA photographer Bryant Eslava, whom Kinyanjui looks up to, serves as an example of a known photographer who numerous celebrities and influencers book to photograph. 

“A lot of people in the area know me, but outside of the school nobody has really seen my pictures and I don’t really want to pay to boost them because I would like real engagement. I want to get my name out there so when I go to college next year, it’s already known,” Kinyanjui said. 

With a desire to refine his photography skills and feed his passion, Kinyanjui will continue to fulfill himself and others with his art. He captures his peers at their best moments and enables them to recognize their beauty in a still image.