Here at teenAGE we fully believe in young talent and we love to see what our peers get up to, so it only follows that after being madly in love with Ryan Gentles’ Instagram feed for quite some time, we actually interviewed him.

Ryan is 20 years old and is a student at the Caribbean School of Architecture. He is also the Senior Editor at Anticipate Magazine – a beauty and fashion magazine that serves as a platform for photographers, models, clothing designers, jewelry designers, and makeup artists alike to be featured and have their craft featured.

Read what he had to say after some teenAGE Casual Questions (TCQs):If you could have any super power what would it be?What’s the most trouble you’ve ever been in with your parents?What’s the most teenAGE thing you do on a daily basis?Which of these kids were you in high school: the popular kid, the nerd or just a part of the crowd?Why did you choose photography?What’s your favourite type of photography?With the rise of the digital camera and the camera phone, anyone can take a photo, but does that make everyone a photographer in your opinion?What do you think sets you apart from other photographers?What goes into the photography process? Surely it isn’t as simple as one click?There’s got to be a reason our photos don’t turn out as great as they totally should. What are we doing wrong?Any advice for up and comers?

I’d want to be able to fly. We spend pretty much all our lives on the ground, so it would be cool to have a change of view whenever I wanted. 

I really haven’t been in any major trouble. But something like forgetting to wash the dishes before my parents get home has been a bit of a recurring problem. 

Scrolling down my Instagram feed.

Hmmm, if those three things were fused into one, that would be me. [I’d say I’m] a healthy mix of each with a touch of leadership qualities as well. 

I didn’t set out wanting to do photography initially. My cousin who I’m very close to had an interest in it and I just tagged along at first. Soon it grew from a mere hobby to a passion.

My favorite genre or type of photography would have to be headshot or portrait photography. I find these types of images to be very captivating and surreal, especially when the viewer is drawn into the photo by the eyes of the subject.

In light of developments in the digital age, anyone can take a nice photo. However just as how a professional athlete differs from a casual runner in that they have had to put in time and practice to attain a level of prowess, so it is with a photographer and simply someone taking a picture. 

My ability to switch between different styles and genres is a distinguishing factor. I try to keep it fresh for every shoot and approach each with a different creative vision. 

Quite often the process starts even before the first click. This may include planning things like location for the shoot, possible wardrobe choices or even the type of makeup. After the “click” then the post-production part of the process starts. The type of shoot or the intended usage of the images would dictate how extensive this process is.

Well, if you’re simply using the camera on your phone then that may be the first reason. But aside from that there are other ingredients that help to make a great capture. Things such as composition, use of light, lens choice and location are a few. Finally there is work done while editing the raw images that helps to bring off the feel that you wanted to portray; the Valencia filter on Instagram isn’t always the best fit.

Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! And shoot some more. The only way you will improve is through practice. Also, if you favor a certain genre of photography then look at the work of professionals in that genre and try to pick out what elements make their work unique. Never be afraid to ask questions and NEVER be afraid of making mistakes. It’s part of the learning process. 

Here are a couple of his photos:

You can check out more of Ryan’s work on Instagram: @rg_photog, or look at his website: https://500px.com/ryangentles