Though for many high school is merely a time to play around with different ideas and discover new talents, some students have already found their passion. Seth Lewis is one of those lucky few.

Lewis, only a sophomore, has left his mark on several local photography competitions, including nabbing Best in Show in the University City Photo Show. He has also accrued several other impressive accomplishments such as making it to nationals in a youth competition hosted by the Photographic Society of America and being accepted into the St. Louis Artists’ Guild as a result of a youth competition across Missouri.

These accomplishments serve only as indicators for what is to come for Lewis, who began taking photographs only two years ago when a foreign setting offered him unique inspiration.

“My mom goes in the summers to teach in Japan and I go along, he said. In the time that she has off we go to different places and markets around the city. Two summers ago, I brought with me a regular camera and I decided I wanted to document the culture. That was really how I discovered that I had an interest in photography.

In the short amount of time since his first experimentation with photography in Japan, Lewis has grown incredibly as a photographer. Bringing his skills back to the United States, Lewis was able to find inspiration for his photos everywhere.

“Sometimes when I’m in the car and I see things, I think ‘Wow, that would be interesting to photograph’,” he said. “When I see ideas like that I keep them in my head.”

Though he started out focusing only on scenery and objects, Lewis has expanded his photography to include models and sets.

“I definitely think I’ve grown and I’ve been trying out different things, like models,” Lewis said. “I think that my growth is going to continue and I’m going to find an area that I really have an interest in within photography.”

He said he finds that challenging himself with new types of photography brings out the best of his talents. In one of his recent shoots, Lewis wrapped his subject up in toilet paper and photographed them in different poses.

“I’m especially proud of getting Best in Show in the U. City Photo Show,” Lewis said. “The photo that won was from the toilet paper shoot, which was a defining moment for me. I went out of my comfort zone, tried something completely new, and I didn’t know how it was going to turn out.”

The success he has experienced with experimentation certainly has not encouraged him to settle down into one style. Lewis states his style as undefined, a piece of work that is constantly evolving with his experiences. Nevertheless, he has found a routine that serves him well, no matter the type of picture he is taking.

“I have a certain ritual,” Lewis said. “I take the pictures, I go home, and I touch them up a little bit, but not too much because I don’t like over-editing. Then I take them to school and show them to my teacher to get input.”

Though getting input from his teacher is the very last part of Lewis’ routine, it may very well be the most important.

Photography teacher Christina Vodika has played large role in developing Lewis as a photographer.

“Ms. Vodika has been helping me throughout this entire journey,” Lewis said. “She has helped me learn the basic things about photography, pushed me to develop my own style, and she tells me about competitions and helps me get my stuff ready to submit. She’s been a real help.”

Though the success he has experienced competing with others may be enough for some to be satisfied with their work, Lewis is constantly looking to others for ways to better his own photography. His desire to maintain an evolving style fits in well with his ability to see the beauty in the work of others and be inspired by it.

“I look at pictures from famous photographers online, especially photographers that do a lot more modern photography, and they inspire me,” Lewis said. “I try to do things like theirs while at the same time developing my own style.”

The work he puts into improving his talents is well worth his time. Ultimately, Lewis looks at photography as more than just a pastime or a hobby. To Lewis, photography is something that he’s interested in turning into a professional skill.

“I definitely have an interest in pursuing photography as a career,” Lewis said. “This last year especially I’ve been thinking a lot about that. School wise, I’m interested in going to an art school and pursuing photography there.”

For some, it may seem rather early to begin deciding a career path, but the choice is logical when Lewis’ true passion for photography is taken into account. With photography, he has been able to find what some spend many years of their life searching for: an inherent talent that is also a real passion.

“I’m interested in culture and travel and documenting what I see,” Lewis said. “With photography, I am able to translate those things I’m interested in into art. I like other subjects too, but there’s something about photography that just really clicks with me.”