Life Lessons

HOW INSTAGRAM AND AN IPHONE TURNED A HOBBY INTO A SECOND CAREER

- Barry Tanenbaum

I WAS PRETTY SURE I WANTED TO TALK with Eric Ward when I saw his iPhone pictures at various sites around the Web. I was absolutely sure when I read, at one of those sites, his best photography secret: “Perspective. I’m 6’4” and I see the world differently than my 3 year-old. Change your perspective while shooting a scene and you’ll find a whole new scene to shoot.”

I like it when photographers work their kids into their ideas and their photographs.

Ward is not a photographer by profession—he’s a teacher, and has been for 22 years—but he’s a professional if you consider that he’s carried out a number of pro assignments and sold his images— most notably three of them to Apple for their iPhone 6 “Shot on iPhone” ad campaign.

His professional success is largely due to his social media presence, particularly on Instagram, where he’s been posting for about five years.

He’d photographed with a point-and-shoot and a DSLR, but his iPhone photography accelerated his use of Instagram. “I loved the interaction,” he says, “and I met so many true friends through it.”