The moment is completely still, completely silent.
The sky is a muted blue with the slightest hint of pink peeking through. In the distance, Mount Baker stands tall with a thick layer of snow blanketing its peak. Tall pine trees roll down the hills and cut through the hazy fog. The waters of Baker Lake are crystal clear; there is a perfect reflection of the view ahead on the surface of the calm water. Then, a click of a camera and a sigh of satisfaction.
Senior Will Banfield has just perfectly captured one of his favorite photos.
“I snapped [the picture], looked at it, and I got it,” Will said. “It’s just a great feeling. It’s really rewarding. I mean, there’s this kind of pressure I put on myself to go and get it, but once you get it, it’s really relaxing. You can just go out and do what you want now and have fun with it.”
About four years ago, Will discovered his talents in photography. Ever since then, he has been purchasing newer equipment and learning new techniques to take his photo editing skills to the next level.
When it comes to what Will likes to photograph, he chooses nature. Will loves to take trips to national parks and bring his camera with him on hikes. His most recent trip was over winter break when he flew out to Washington with his uncle.
The beauty of photographing nature is the fact that it is not man-made, unlike most of what people see on a daily basis. That is part of what Will loves best about his scenery of choice.
“You can just take a moment and freeze it, savor it, and then manipulate it, so you can make it look how you want,” Will explained. “That really interests me.”
Popular to contrary belief, Will never took any photography classes. He has taught himself all that he knows and will continue to do so to enhance his skill level. While the editing process of his photos may be time-consuming, Will never gets frustrated when working with a picture. He sees it more as a break from everything else he has going on in his life.
When looking back to when he first started, it is fun for Will to see the progress he has made in both his photography and editing skills.
“I used to just go straight out of the camera,” Will said. “I just picked it up and then learned how to [take pictures] and then got into the more manual aspect as I went. I got into editing a couple of years ago. You see these great pictures by professional photographers and you’re like, ‘How do I get it like that?’ And then, all you have to do is just throw [the picture] in there, play around with it a little bit, make it look how you want, and it turns out well.”
Ideally, Will would take his hobby to the next level in the future. He would love to travel the world and photograph nature for companies like National Geographic, but he doesn’t know if that is the path meant for him. So, for now, his skills will stay as a hobby.
While he may not be pursuing photography professionally, he would love to help those who need a hand getting started with the art form. While he believes that photography can be a journey one can embark upon alone, Will would greatly enjoy going on a trip with a friend to one of his favorite picturesque locations and showing him the ins and outs of taking the perfect photo.
“[Photography is] a great thing to do if you just want to have a break from the world,” Will said. “[You can] focus on something and then be able to take whatever’s around you and form it into whatever you want.”
From Washington to the Dakotas to Arizona, Will has been able to encounter so many beautiful pockets of untouched land. With one click of his camera and some slight touch-ups on his computer, he is able to create something amazing.
Right now, Will is only starting. He will continue to bask in the joy of capturing moments and freezing them forever, one location at a time.
“It’s just pure enjoyment,” Will said. “It’s a blank space where I just take it all in and then focus on what I want to make the shot happen, and then it turns out well if I really just enjoy it in the moment.”
