Meeting John Saltz in the English program last year has enhanced my creative mindset due to his love for literature and passion for visual arts. As a member of the Photography Club here at Illinois State, John has built the foundation of what he hopes will become his own photography business. Sharing his work with the readers of HC is something I am so proud to do. Here’s a look at how John’s passion for photography transpired and what he hopes to offer his clients!
Name: John Saltz
Age: 21
Major: General English
Minor(s): Writing
Hometown: Crystal Lake, IL
Fun Fact: He’s been to so many concerts, he’s lost count.
Hobbies: Photography, writing, music
If you could have dinner with one celebrity (dead or alive), who would it be? Harry Carry
HerCampus ISU: John! We’re so thrilled to hear about your involvement with photography around campus. Tell us about how you got started.
John Saltz: Thanks for having me! Photography has been a passion of mine for a while, so I really wanted to expand on what I loved doing. I started focusing on photography senior year of high school during photo class. I got my Nikon roughly two years ago and started building my name. It wasn’t until I got to ISU that I started becoming serious about getting my name out there more.
HerCampus ISU: What is your main focus? What’s your favorite subject to take pictures of?
John Saltz: I focus mainly on portraits, and my personal favorite subject to take pictures of is people.
HerCampus ISU: I think it’s awesome you’ve already gotten your name out there on campus! What type of work have you done?
John Saltz: Recently, I’ve taken pictures for the girls dance team at ISU, HC articles, and graduation photos. I’ve also shot for a couple weddings, so that exposure was great! I also got my work submitted to Euphemism a couple months ago.
HerCampus ISU: What do you hope to build with your photography exposure?
John Saltz: I’m hoping to get my name out there and have my work recognized around campus. By using hashtags and having people tag my Instagram account, I’ve been getting more followers and more recognition for clubs. Things like these take time, but I’ve been pretty happy with the personal success I’ve received so far. So feel free to follow me @JohnSaltzPhotography!
HerCampusISU: Tell us about ISU’s Photography Club! How did you decide to get involved with that and what’s it like?
John Saltz: Photo club meets twice a month every other Monday and has workshops discussing different photo aspects (light painting, steel wool, astro photography, etc.) We take trips to Starved Rock and such and take pictures. We also have print sales and host fundraisers to benefit the club. If anyone is interested, follow our Instagram. The Instagram showcases the artwork of our members. I just recently joined and have already engaged in a portrait demo in a nature reserve and have photographed other members. Most of the members are photographers for school functions such as sporting events. Anyone can join the club. You don’t need a fancy camera. Just a creative mindset!
Thanks so much for sharing with us today, John! To see more of John’s personal photography, follow @johnsaltzphotography on Instagram. To learn more about ISU’s Photography Club, check out @isuphotography on Instagram.