Photography isn’t just a hobby, it’s a profession for OH junior Justin Holden. Starting his freshman year, Holden has grown in popularity in the photography world. From growing his social media presence, @justinflickss, to securing amazing opportunities, Holden has launched a career for himself.
“I found a camera at my house, and my sister had a gymnastics meet,” said Holden. “So [I just went] to get some pictures of her.” For Holden, this simple act is how it all started.
He grew his popularity, social media presence, and skills by taking pictures for media day, Friday night lights, basketball games, and other events.
A graphic made by Justin Holden features Senior Teddy Manikas and Junior Dontrell Young
“After I started, I found people that I liked, like people from other schools and stuff,” he said with a smile.
During the summer preceding his junior year, Holden had an amazing idea to form an Oswego media team. Filled with other photographers, videographers, graphic designers, and media managers.
The Oswego media club, Panther PR, is full of other OH students, including founding members Audrey Vlna, Maddie Liska, Jax Baker, Brady Dunnet, and Nate Overstreet. Holden said the club is open to anyone at OH who wants to join.
“I [saw] other schools, in like Chicago, doing like a media team and stuff. I was like, we have a lot of photographers here at Oswego, so I think we should start it,” said Holden.
“I talked to [senior] Maddie Liska about it, and we started it since then,” said Holden, who serves a vice president of the club. Liska now serves as president of Panther PR.
Throughout his three years of high school, Holden has secured many opportunities in a variety of ways. From learning new things to gaining followers, he has grown in every aspect.
“Sophomore year of high school, the football team hired me to do some videography and photography stuff,” he said.
After this opportunity, Holden became a face of photography at OH. He’s inspired many with his work and will continue to grow in the field of photography.
“When I started photographing, it didn’t come out that good,” said Holden. “But over the two years I’ve been doing photography, I improved a lot, and enjoyed how my photos look now.”
The growth of both photography and Holden shows how student creativity can shape the culture at OH, leaving a lasting impact that will continue long after he graduates.
Hello! My name is Madi Young! I am sports editor here at 42fifty! You can contact me by emailing 42fifty@sd308.org and putting my name in the subject line. We welcome comments on our articles and feedback on our publication!
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