A four-year senior, photographer Edward Guo ’19 has contributed his award-winning talents to numerous school publications. As the head of the student magazine ink., he has facilitated the creation of ten issues over four years. This week, the Arts and Leisure Section recognizes his accomplishments and contributions by featuring him as Artist of the Issue.

How did you become interested in photography?

The act of taking photos and photography are different things. I got my camera when I was 14 as a birthday present from my parents. I went around my hometown taking photos. But there wasn’t much there, [so] I [would say] I started doing darkroom photography [here], which really got me interested in how images [are] brought to life. Photography is a more interesting view of the world. To do photography, you must have a solid object, something real to be present.

What has been your greatest challenge in photography?

To find ways to tell a message in a simple image. [In] Prep year photography…we [had] to express a lot of different themes. When we [were reading]  Brave New World, we were talking about totalitarianism and the concept of a utopian society and one of our projects [was] to create that sense. I struggled [a lot] with that, [because] I had images with a lot of elements in [them], but [they were] very confusing. For me it makes sense, this element represents this idea, that element represents that – you put them together, and they are this great idea. But if you’re a viewer and you look at it for the first time, there’s no way you are going to know what it is about. For a long time, I struggled to express ideas simply.

What advice do you have for aspiring photography students?

Know how to use your camera. I think it is one of the most important things; it’s really, really basic. All ideas and [ways] to frame your photograph, all of those things come later. The important thing is first knowing how to use your tools properly, so [that] it helps you with the expression of the idea. Knowing the relationship between shutter speed and aperture and how to make a proper exposure give you the ability to experiment. Because you know what’s right, you can experiment with all the other fun stuff.

Are you going to pursue photography in college?

I’m not certain if I’m going to do photo at college, but I can tell you that it certainly [won’t be] my major. Photography for me is more of a way to see the world. I think it gives me [an] alternative perspective, and it’s a great tool at exploring different perspectives, but I’m not sure if I want to do it with my life.