Ryder Trkula has been capturing moments through his camera since the start of high school, from his school’s football games to professional golf tours. What started with just a couple photos on vacation quickly became a passion of his. He fell in love with not just taking photos, but the whole process, from shooting to editing, and photography turned into a major part of his life.
In school, Trkula dove deep into photography. Taking classes to further his knowledge, then later volunteering to shoot basketball and football games. He continued finding ways to improve, having success in Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), where he competed in Commercial Photography and Photo Gallery Walk placing third in both. In his sophomore year, Trkula began to reach out for bigger opportunities, particularly in golf. Taking the initiative, he emailed a coordinator at the LPGA tour and earned the chance to shoot the Ford Championship, one of his favorite events to date. He is always looking for ways to challenge himself, from finding new opportunities to experimenting with his camera. “Whether it’s grabbing a new lens or changing a camera setting,” he says, “there is so much that you could do to give your photos a different dynamic.”
Learning through hands-on experience under the LPGA media team for a week before moving on to more local golf tournaments. Later, he reconnected with his contact from the LPGA tour and secured himself a spot to shoot the PGA tour. Not only was he able to take stunning photographs, but he also met mentors that have helped shape his photography. In addition to his photography teacher in school, Ms. Tomlin, some of the people who have been the most influential to his work are Jeff Marsh, the LPGA photographer, and Joel Newberry, the social media manager at his school.
Trkula’s journey hasn’t been without challenges. Photography is growing and finding his own unique perspective to stand out is important. At times, he has had to learn that being too comfortable with his work can take the fun out of it. Spotting his mistakes and working to improve them is what keeps photography interesting. Even with the occasional obstacle, there is so much that Ryder loves about it. Meeting new people has been one of his favorite parts of photography. Since he started shooting photos he has even had the opportunity to connect with photographers who have shot events like the Super Bowl and the Olympics. Unforgettable experiences for him that will last a lifetime.
Looking ahead, Ryder would like to continue to capture more sports events, especially golf tournaments. He is 16 years old and currently goes to Pinnacle High School, and his journey is just getting started. You can check out his work at his website, https://www.rydertrkula.com/.
Interview by Epic Kids Reporter; Naya
