In October of 2024, in preparation for DEADLOCK Pro Wrestling’s “World’s Strongest” event, I found an old camera. It was a Kodak EasyShare v803, a camera barely younger than me (I was born in 2004, the camera released in 2008) and one that wasn’t really meant to be for photography the way that I was intending it. But, I used it for that event, and then after that event I continued to use it for various things in my life.
Looking back on it a year later, deciding to take photography somewhat seriously was a great decision, as it opened doors in both my life and career that I’ve never thought was possible.
Photography taught me about the struggles of being a visual artist. While I do know the struggle of being an artist, as being a writer does have its own problems when it comes to topics, writer’s block and the like, working with an actual camera is a whole different game. You have to worry about whether things are overexposed and underexposed, whether things are in focus and making sure everything that you wanted to capture is in frame properly. Sometimes you’ll take hundreds, even thousands, of photos for a shoot, but only a handful are usable. Also, while not absolutely necessary, you have to edit the photo. While I didn’t start doing this until I switched from my Kodak EasyShare v803 to the more professional Canon camera I use now, making sure that the photos are properly lighted and everything looks perfect is also a big issue. It’s a lot of work, but at the end of the day it’s really rewarding.
I’ve also gotten to work with a lot of interesting people. I’ve gotten to work with guys like current TNA World Champion Mike Santana, former All Elite Wrestling roster member Bear Bronson, and up-and-coming stars in the wrestling world like J Boujii, Devious Cass, Diego Hill, Jada Stone, and Jazmin Allure. I’ve also gotten a chance to work with people that have coached some of the best players in the world, people that have represented their country internationally, and world-class athletes. Even in the future, I’m getting to work with guys like 7-time former All Japan Pro Wrestling tag team champion Takao Omori and the inventor of the Spanish Fly Joel Maximo.
Most important of all, I’ve gotten to work with some of my closest friends. My friends are the main reason why I decided to continue doing photography after “World’s Strongest”, because I don’t necessarily have the best memory and I wanted to have a record of the time we spent together other than just the memories in our minds. But, I also was able to get involved with their projects and the things that they do. Seeing my friends grow and change, seeing their hard work and seeing that hard work pay off is something amazing to see. Also, just getting to spend more time with people I care about is something I wouldn’t trade for the world.
While I’m not, and probably never will be, done with photography, looking back at my first year of doing photography somewhat seriously, I’m extremely happy with how it turned out.
