By Jesse Rosenfeld
Staff Writer
The lens of a camera is able to open up another world for two Costa freshmen, Jackson Hawkins and Patrick Komick.
Inspired by their passions for taking photographs of athletes and nature, Komick started a photography business, and Hawkins has begun to organize one for himself.
“I feel really blessed that I was able to find out how much I love photography, and it really has changed my life and opened my eyes to so many things,” Komick said. “Now, I see everything as a photo, so it has changed my whole perspective.”
Hawkins and Komick have been friends since middle school, and often times they pursue this common interest by taking photos with each other.
“Komick’s work is very good, and I like how he really dedicates his work to water shots,” Hawkins said.
Komick and Hawkins are both surfers and enjoy taking photos of the ocean and people surfing. Komick even came in first place in a few surfing competitions, including the King of the South Bay in 2011.
“Catching the feelings and emotions associated with surfing is really special,” Hawkins said. “People could just look at surfing as a guy on a wave, but what I love doing is showing people a different way of looking at things.”
Komick started taking photos last year on a film camera. He started by trying to figure how to work the camera and take photos of his friends in the water.
“I realized I had a passion for photography, and I wanted to pursue it,” Komick said. “I bought a digital camera, and my photography has progressed since then.”
Komick made a Tumblr account for his work, and after three months, he formatted a website called Filmbypat. When Komick realized people wanted to buy his photographs, he built a more professional website called Komickkaptures to sell his work.
“I just want to keep making people happy,” Komick said. “I really like giving people photos of themselves surfing since it really makes them happy. Others being happy really makes me happy.”
At first, only Komick’s family friends bought his work. Komick’s first real sale came at a gallery that he presented in September of 2013.
“The gallery was an excellent way to show off some of his best stuff at the time,” professional photographer Pete Halvorsen said. “His work has gotten even better since then, so I hope he will continue.”
Hawkins started taking photos at the age 10 when his dad bought him a camera. He began taking pictures to show the beauty of the places he encountered that he felt people otherwise could have never imagined.
“Taking photos is like capturing a moment or memory so that it can always be there,” Hawkins said. “Whenever I look back at a photo I can really feel how I felt at that moment and time.”
Hawkins was born in Sydney, Australia which is where he first found people and places to take photos of. He was inspired as a little child by the art of Australian locals, such as Ozzie Wright and Otis Carey.
“In Sydney, Australia there are a lot of great people and places to take photos of,” Hawkins said. “Sydney is such a cool, loving kind of punk ocean culture.”
At the moment, Hawkins is starting to organize a business for himself. In this business, people will be able to buy prints of his works, see videos that he has shot and pay him to take photos.
“I am so happy to see that he has put such time and effort into chasing after what he truly finds most interesting to him,” Hunter Beard, childhood friend of Hawkins, said. “I am so happy to see how his career has risen so much over the past few months.”
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