McBright Ashu (‘26), A rising student photographer at Westerville North, has steadily begun to make a name for himself in school and in the online photography world. 

McBright Ashu’s journey into photography started from his prior experience with graphic design. He said, “I was originally a graphic designer. I used to make a lot of graphics for sports, and I one day decided to save up for a camera and start taking photos.” This moment marked the significant shift in his creative career, where he transitioned from digital design to capturing moments through a camera lens. His prior interest in sports graphic design connected him to photography. He was able to continue working in the world of sports, just this time as a photographer.

As a sophomore, his passion for photography was fueled by external influences and the personal connections he had made through his graphic design work. He acknowledges the impact of a student photographer that went to Westerville South, Kofi Oduro, who had also specialized in sports photography.

“Although I have many influential people that I know for this field of work, I really take influence from this photographer from Westerville South who also takes photos of sports. He inspired me to be better and I use a ton of his concepts. Those are what I use to think of new ideas and posts.” As

hu said. This shows that he strives to constantly improve and his dedication to learning from others in the photography field. Gaining inspiration from other creative photographers is key to his development as a student photographer and he is able to apply their concepts into his own to push his boundaries.

Ashu recognizes the importance of growth and networking. His openness to connecting with others and experimenting with different photographic styles shows a strong desire to expand his horizons. “With becoming a student photographer, you get to meet a lot of new people and gain connections. You gain information and new and different styles from many different peopl

e,” Ashu said. Utilizing social platforms, (@mc_visionz and @only_mcb),  to showcase his work and engaging in the digital community is a way to grow his business and self promote. He allows himself to offer services without immediate compensation to show his dedication to building his reputation as a student photographer. “I use Instagram a lot to promote my work and other times too, I’ll ask people I’ve done some work for to promote me. I’ll even make some sacrifices like doing things for free because I know it’ll work out in the long run.”

While his speciality is in sports photography, he embraces versatility in his photography career. He is able to take on a wide range of different projects and events whilst also expanding his skills and maintaining his focus on the sport that started his passion for photography. “It’s my speciality, especially when it comes to taking pictures of sports but I still photograph other things like parties, major events, and many more. It just depends on what people ask me to do.” On top of doing other photography work besides sports, his aspiration of working in major sports industries and becoming a NFL photographer allows him to keep focused; “I definitely see myself being a photographer in my future and as my career when I’m older. I feel like no matter what, photography is always going to be with me. I’m always working to be better and I want to be an NFL photographer and just work in major sports industries with this.”

 As the number of student photographers grows, Ashu recommends advice for upcoming photographers as a beginner photographer himself: “One thing I would tell beginner photographers is to just pick up the camera and start shooting. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a subject or anything, you should just take a picture of anything you find good to look at.” Although other photographers may be competition to him, he still gives a simple message to emphasize the importance of experimentation and practicing no matter the skill level. 

Ashu is a motivated student photographer who seeks to go far with his photography career. His journey from graphic design to sports photography underscores his passion and ambition for what he does. He is able to blend his prior knowledge in graphic designs into photography to create aesthetically pleasing pictures for his viewers and clients. Through continuous learning and commitment, he is not only building himself up as a student photographer but also a future professional in major sports industries. With his eyes set on the NFL and beyond, his story serves as a reminder that dedication and willingness to experiment and go beyond one’s comfort zone will undoubtedly lead him and others who find a passion in photography to greater and higher places