Click.

Jacob Wester looks down at his camera before positioning it again over his right eye. He continues this for sometime occasionally changing his position and zooming in and out on the model  in front of him.

“I got into photography when I got my first camera in April 2012,” Webster explained.

Since then Webster, now 15, has turned his childhood hobby into a job. He has shot with over 50 models with both studio  and outdoor shoots. Jacob has found much success including being featured on a clothing website and getting one of a models into the Wilhelmina modeling agency.

“Jacob is really good and hes really a perfectionist so he makes sure everything looks good. Shoots are fun and he gets really dramatic,” sophomore Annika Norris said  of working with Webster.

He has shot many themed shoots including one recently based off of the famous American girl group TLC and another based off the F. Scott Fitzgeralds 1920’s inspired novel “The Great Gatsby”.

“I usually just come up with photoshoot ideas by brainstorming or it will just come to me randomly and then I will start to go through the process,” he said.

Although he does not have a muse Websters favorite is art and visual photographer Elijah Dom whom he praises for his constancy and composure.

But photography is not just pressing the shutter button. It requires work in fashion, modeling and the tedious editing of pictures to get the total effect but it usually pays off in the end.

“My favorite part is watching everything come together from start to finish and then seeing everything edited.You get  lots of feedback and responses from people and you get to see how much people really appreciate your work,” Webster continued.

However with most artistic hobbies there comes critics and other copying ones work.

“You have people coming up behind you trying to do the same things you’ve already done. You sometimes have to put your foot down and tell someone no,” Webster stated.

Webster’s goals for the future are to intern for a few photographers who have their own studios and possibly to create a modeling agency. However Webster still wants to keep photography as just a hobby so he can focus on his career goals in business and entrepreneurship.

Although it may not be his career goal Webster continues to appreciate this hobby and has advice for people interested in it.

“For someone who wants to start photography, I would first say to try and self teach yourself and then try and find the styles that fits you. You have to learn how to sell yourself,” he said.

As a high school student Webster encourages others to try out an hobby one is interested in because it can help to find career paths later in life.

He concluded, “It’s important to pursue your interest because you never know what they will turn into or how much you will enjoy them until you start. There is something for everyone.”

After many hours of posing, shooting and dress changes Webster finally feels his work is done. He gets everything together, saying goodbye to his models and putting the equipment away. That’s a wrap.