Tyler Davis

The art of photography helped me to become who I am. It is a powerful tool. It is one of the freedoms of expression protected under article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and recognized in international human rights law in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). It is also the tool that will show us our reflection so we may better ourselves.

I got my first camera around 2004 when I was in high school. I think it was a Kodak 300 series. A really modest at best digital fixed lens camera. Maybe the perfect camera to give a high school student and not worry about it much. I was going through awkward times in life and so was the technology of digital cameras. The Image quality was similar to a mid 1800's film camera but hey it fit in your late 19th century cargo pants and was easy enough for anyone to use. It was pretty limited but it gave me the spark to ask my family to help me get a better one at graduation. I didn't do the typical straight into college. I kept working mostly in restaurant jobs. I would catch every local music show I could whether I knew the band or not. Filming with my camera was a way to not become overwhelmed by the crowd and social anxieties. It became a way to live with Autism. I was this kid that would come tono see bands play all the time in the music venues of Virginia Beach. I didn't dress cool or socialize well. I would just hang around as a wallflower until the bands would play and then ran out of room.