By Jack Hill

Portrait of Orange Ice.

The dim lighting, the peeling paint from the back walls, the framing, the color scheme, and the emotion of my subjects made the photo stellar, fitting, and brilliant. It was my first major photo shoot, and I got exactly what I came out to shoot, capturing the band’s ruggedness and earthy roots.

The photoshoot was for a local Richmond band called Orange Ice. I first encountered them at a Richmond flea market, where they were performing live atop a small stage, and a sparse group of shoppers stopped to listen for a while, I was intrigued and decided to listen to a few songs. As I listened, I grabbed my camera and fired away, changing angles, settings, and taking both group shots and individual shots as they performed. I approached the lead singer after they finished playing and told them that I had loved their performance and had taken some photos for them. Surprised, but excited, he commended me for my work and asked for my social media information, informing me that he would like to work again in the future.

I started my journey as a photographer as an underclassman in the Upper School. I was never particularly talented at drawing, painting, or sculpting, and was too timid to try performing arts. Instead, I tried my hand at photography. I took my first photography class freshman year, Fundamentals of Photography with Taylor Dabney, a long-time photographer and a veteran teacher at Collegiate. Photography was exciting, it was new, it was different from anything I had done before and arguably easier. I had never had any experience holding a camera, though. I lacked an understanding of how it worked, and consequently, my first photos were poor. Despite this, however, I stuck with it, and the next year I took Intermediate Photography with Dabney.

I developed a passion for photography while in Intermediate Photography, experimenting with different subjects, styles, and settings. I mastered the functionalities of a camera. I struck a balance between the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO each time I took a photo. I saw improvement in my work gradually, but I hadn’t yet produced any remarkable series. It wasn’t until I bought my own camera that I started to love photography.

Once I had my own camera, the opportunities were endless. I opted to buy a new type of camera, a mirrorless body that used a digital viewfinder, as opposed to the double mirror system of a DSLR camera. I acquired a Canon EOS RP, with a 24-105 mm lens with a fixed focal length of 4.0 and a control ring at the end of the barrel of the lens, allowing me to change all three major camera settings without taking my eye from the viewfinder. After purchasing a backpack and a tripod, I was no longer confined to just Collegiate’s campus, so I began exploring. Having just gotten my driver’s license, I drove everywhere. I drove to downtown Richmond, Ashland, Petersburg, and even Washington D.C. I would drive for hours in a single day just to find a new place to take a photo. I asked to photograph people I had never met before; it was unlike anything I had ever done before. 

Portrait of Soily in Washington, D.C.

On a day trip to Washington, D.C., I strolled through the city in search of landscapes, reflections, and intriguing architecture to photograph. I stumbled upon a pair of young women, one of which was posing and the other taking photos with a phone. I saw an opportunity, and after calming my nerves I approached the two and asked if I could take photos for them instead. Delighted, they agreed. I shot my first paid photoshoot in an entirely new location with two people I had never met before, and yet I felt comfortable. After flicking back through the photos, I also felt more confident than ever before, impressed with my improvised work. I saw an opportunity to make photography into a part-time job and decided that it was what I wanted to do with my free time.

Photography as a job turned out to be just as enjoyable as creating work for myself. Being hired for a job, I found out, was not much different than taking photos by myself. I had the freedom to pick a location, set their poses, control the lighting, and was allowed to do the post-image processing however I pleased. I felt trusted by my subjects, and it made me feel like my work was now more important. And it was. My photos for Orange Ice Music turned up all over their social media and were reposted many times. It was used as poster art for their upcoming concerts. The feeling was unlike any other I had ever experienced before. It was fulfilling, and I felt validated as a photographer. 

Following my shoot with Orange Ice, I expanded the type of work that I did. I was booked to shoot sports, weddings, concerts, office parties, and more. With each new job, I gained more confidence in my work, and as I posted it online, my peers commended me.

The Lee Monument being removed from its pedestal on Monument Avenue on Sept. 8, 2021.

Despite filling most of my time with photoshoots for others, I never lost interest in creating my own portfolios. There is just something about creating a series from a vision that is unlike no other, so as I continued to schedule shoots I always saved time for my personal work. The portfolio that I gained the most recognition for was a series of the Robert E. Lee Monument removal in downtown Richmond. I took the day off of school on Wednesday, September 8, 2021, in order to photograph this historic event. This was the single most important photoshoot of my life. I have lived in Richmond my entire life, and capturing this historical moment in which a Confederate monument would be removed was extremely important to me. 

I drove to the monument that morning and had to park a few blocks away. After getting some shots from a friend’s house, I weaseled my way into the press box and awaited the monument’s removal. After a long wait, the monument was finally lifted, the sun pierced through the clouds in brilliant beams, and the sun shone brightly on the city of Richmond as I photographed the monument. But as I lowered my camera, I noticed that there was more to the story. I looked around and saw the emotions of onlookers, of the witnesses that had been denied social justice for over a century. I photographed their joy, hugs, and tears of happiness as I made my way through the crowd, stopping at nearly every step to capture their emotion—joy, triumph, and peace filled the crowd. In my series, I hoped to convey just how much this meant to Richmond residents, particularly the Black community, who for so long had to endure the presence of Confederate monuments looming over them as they walked down Monument Avenue.

A man holding his infant during the removal of the Lee Monument.

The series, titled “Deconstructing Racist History: The Removal of the Lee Monument From Virginia’s Capital,” was the best I had ever taken. It won multiple regional awards and even a national medal from the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Following national recognition, I was also awarded the Jake Macnelly Senior Art Purchase Award from Collegiate. After I produced this series, my passion for photography grew exponentially. Producing work that was not only well crafted but also moving was addicting. And from that moment on I knew that I never wanted to put the camera down.

Since my first peak of interest in photography, I have been busy taking photos of various school and business events. I have slightly scaled back how much of a role photography plays in my life as I find myself getting busier. However, despite my interest in studying medicine and mathematics in college next year, I know I will always make time for photography. It is an integral part of who I am; it is my outlet, my release, and my craft. My only advice to anyone starting out as a photographer? Be bold, don’t be afraid to fail, and never, ever, put the camera down.

All photos by Jack Hill.