A 17-year-old photographer with autism talks about himself and his work.
I have autism. Although autism makes life a little harder, I can still make my dreams come true. However, I didn’t always think so.
I had a lot of problems at home and in school. In middle school and my first year of high school I was bullied because I was small and awkward in social situations. And I had trouble with my studies too, so by the end of the school day I was completely drained. The bus ride home was the worst. By then I was so stressed and stressed that I often had “tantrums.”
I still get bullied because of my height and communication problems, but now I can take it easier. It’s all thanks to photography. For me, it’s not just a hobby – it’s a way to express my thoughts and feelings. When I take pictures, I can forget about any problems I have. It’s something I truly enjoy.
When I was a kid, I used to look under my feet all the time. If there was a seashell, a tiny snail, or a four-leaf clover, I was sure to find it.
When I was in third grade, I started using my grandfather’s old camera. I took pictures of river crayfish and reeds in the creek behind his house, and also of the monarch butterflies that came to his huge yard once a year.
When I got my own digital camera, I kept practicing and finally enrolled in a photography club at my school where I learned how to use a professional camera. That’s when I knew what I wanted in life. I knew I wanted to be a photographer. I was firmly hooked. My “disability” and my difficulties were the last thing I remembered. All I cared about was photography. I set a goal for myself to take one amazing picture every week, to tell one story. I would go on long hikes to the lake, rain or shine, and spend hours just photographing nature.
Nature always presents you with something beautiful, whether it’s dewdrops on the bright petals of a flower or a fragile butterfly that drinks the sweet nectar of a honeysuckle. I dreamed of becoming a photographer, and I believe I succeeded. I try to tell stories, I try to capture and preserve moments that will never happen again.
Autism hasn’t stopped me from going out and taking pictures. It hasn’t stopped me from dreaming. I know this is going to sound corny, but if I were offered a life without autism, I would say no. I just want people to understand autism, to understand that we are just as good as people without autism.
Autism made me who I am. It shaped me.
