The ability to constantly see things as if through the lens of a camera is what seniors Zak Mckellips, Drew Osher, and Peter Schmidt refer to as having “the eye.”   Since the three boys joined up a few years ago, they’ve not only created an entire entrepreneurial enterprise, they’ve developed a nearly ineffable passion that they hope to share with a broadening audience in the near future.

According to Osher, it’s not even about the photos themselves, it’s more about the stories intertwined.  “You see a couple holding hands and walking down the street and there’s this entire story that comes along with it,” said Osher.  “You can get so much emotion out of a photograph…seeing things through the lens is way different than seeing things through your own eyes.”

“There’s always a story behind the photo, and that’s what’s important,” said Mckellips.   “We can’t show what’s going on with a person or place with words so we look for pictures that say it all.”

According to Osher, the process of getting the photos taken is also a whole adventure in itself.  “It’ll be Friday night one and of us will say ‘Hey lets shoot Ocean beach tomorrow night,’ so we all pack our cameras and head out the next day.  It’s spur of the moment.”

As of recently, the trio has even compiled a list of 40 places around the Bay Area that they plan on photographing and have already checked 30 of them off the list.
Most importantly, all three boys agree a photo relies on its lighting.  “The most important thing in photography is light, so that’s a huge determinant of our shoots,” said Osher.  “It’s based upon the mercy of the sun and the weather and we tend to want to go towards sunset.  You get what’s called the ‘golden light’ and it illuminates everything perfectly.”

With that, the boys have been able to delve into a short dalliance with doing something they love and making a notable profit out of it.  While they don’t plan on pursuing photography later in life, they’re currently honing in on their business at full speed ahead, creating blogs and Flickr’s to promote their work.  “We sell our photos for about $100 each after getting them printed and everything which costs a lot,” said Schmidt.  “But it’s worth it—even if a photo doesn’t sell.”