The Moment Chase Jarvis Knew He Wanted To Be a Photographer

Photo courtesy Deborah Tudor.
Photo courtesy Deborah Tudor.

Have you ever experienced a defining moment — when you realized what you’re truly passionate about? Whether it’s art, photography or cooking up a storm in your kitchen, most people have had a light bulb go off in their head when they stumble upon their passion, and some people are lucky enough to turn their passion into a career.

CreativeLive co-founder and commercial photographer Chase Jarvis had his “ah-ha” moment when he was a teenager, while looking through his dad’s old photos.


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“There was one particular photograph that made me want to be a photographer,” Chase tells Huffington Post. “I was on a select soccer team and the first five games of the season had been all ties — we hadn’t actually won a game. On this particular day it was pouring rain, just brutal, brutal classic Seattle weather. The field was super muddy, and we got our first win. And after, there was this beautiful little moment — I think I was 12 at the time — where we all got together, just a bunch of muddy jerseys [holding up] number 1 signs, and my dad captured that moment.”

Looking at that picture elicited a memory, which in turn evoked an emotion and transported Chase back to the day his team got their first big win. “It wasn’t at that moment that I appreciated photography, but it was looking back, six weeks, six months, six years later. At six weeks later, when I grabbed that photo and was catapulted back to that moment. That’s when I knew photographs had a special power to them to do that, to transport you in an emotional way back to a particular point in time — or forward to something that you want to be or become.”

Like writing, photography is a form of storytelling that has the ability to document a person’s life — not just in terms of tangible images, but in terms of sentiment  and nostalgia. You’re writing a visual journal when you snap pictures of the world around you, simultaneously creating art for others to enjoy, and — as in Chase’s case — documenting memories from your own life.

Have you experienced your defining moment?

Source: Huffington Post


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Mehera Bonner is a freelance lifestyle and entertainment writer. She lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband and two children.