Mitch Jasper, Member of The Spark
Silas Powell, a talented photographer of Watauga High School, is our artist of the week.
"I love photography for many reasons,” said Powell. “The first is that it is a way to capture a moment in time, whether that is a bird in flight, a swimmer diving off the blocks, or a pretty sunset. That exact thing will never happen in the way that you saw it, and with a camera I am able to capture and hold on to that moment forever.”
Powell’s love for photography started when he was gifted an old Nikon Coolpix camera, and since then has been perfecting his skill.
“Another reason I love photography is that I can always improve,” said Powell. “There is always a photo I'll take where I will go ‘man, I wish my shutter speed was higher’ or ‘I wish the eye of that bird was in focus.’ It is comforting to know that I can learn from those mistakes and grow to be a better photographer."
Powell describes some of his photographs displayed above, which are several of his personal favorites.
“My favorite photo changes just about every day and I can't narrow it down to one, but these are a few of my favorites,” said Powell. “The first photo was a photo I took directly after the storm. It is of a gorgeous barn that is completely engulfed in the Watauga River. I think that the juxtaposition of such a devastating event, coupled with the beauty of the barn and the flag tells a story.”
“The second photo is of a Costa's Hummingbird. I took this photo while in 29 Palms, California. I like this photo, and hummingbirds in particular, because they are such challenging birds to photograph. Once you are able to photograph them the reward is incredible because they are stunning colors. The last photo I took recently was during winter break. This photo is of an Osprey carrying sticks for its nest. I like this photo because of the sunrise in the background coupled with the Osprey flying in."
Powell has been practicing photography for many years, and it all started with that gifted camera.
“I took it everywhere taking photos of anything that caught my eye. I still have all of those photos stored deep in my Google Photos and I like to look at them sometimes and try to remember what I was doing or where I was,” said Powell. “One thing was common though, in almost all of my photos since the beginning I was taking pictures of birds. I like to think that birds got me into photography, or maybe photography got me interested in birds, but whatever it is they are both hobbies that I have been very passionate about for the last decade.¨
Powell credits photography as a hobby that has helped cure his boredom on multiple occasions, and the merits of photography go beyond that.
“A single photo can do so much in the world,” said Powell. "Like how people say ‘a picture's worth a thousand words’. Directly after Hurricane Helene, before large-scale volunteer sights were opened up, I had a burning urge to do something that could help people. The day after the Hurricane I sent photos I had taken of the destruction to the magazine Garden and Gun. My photos were published and ended up being the first on-the-ground article from the Hurricane.
“While my photos didn't do anything to restore power or clean mud from basements, I like to think that maybe they inspired someone to donate a generator or gas or some extra clothes to help those in need,” said Powell.
Powell’s dedication and passion for photography is clear in his work.
“That is probably why I like photography the most because it is a way that I feel I can document the world and do my part to help others,” said Powell.
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