Architectural Photography: A Passageway to the Past with Justin King

As more of my college classes start teaching photography and video skills, I have become very interested in them. Despite being passionate about tech for as long as I can remember, photography and videography are still relatively new to me, and I want to learn more.

I recently got the chance to interview my friend Justin King, a junior at Loyola University Chicago majoring in history and minoring in political science and classical civilization. Ever since I met him a couple years ago, I have known he is very involved with architectural photography and history as a whole. This interview definitely helped me learn more not only about his passion, but also about the power of photography.

A statue in St. Joseph's Cemetery in Manchester, Missouri. Photo taken by Justin King (instagram: @roistl).

Passion for History and Photography

When I asked King how he discovered his passion for architectural photography, he mainly focused on how he got interested in history.

"In fifth grade, I started reading history books, and I don't know why I was interested in it," King said. "I guess part of it ... was that my mom was one of the board members of the 1904 World's Fair Society in St. Louis .... She'd always take me to meetings, so I guess it was ... being surrounded by history."

At the very end of the interview, I asked King if there was anything else he wanted to add. During this final minute, he really explained why he enjoys architectural photography.

"Part of the reason that I take pictures is because I like seeing places," King said. "Even if it isn't too far away, ... it's good to get out to see places, to meet new people, to ... get to talk to people that you normally wouldn't. ... It's just really nice to get out of your own bubble and ... explore the world around you."

Educating Others

King's passion for history and photography is not something he wants to keep to himself. Instead, he uses social media to post the pictures he takes and to describe the history of the architecture or place in the picture.

When discussing his usage of Instagram as a way to share his photos, King says: "It's ... almost two years now that I've been posting photos on Instagram. ... "I post photos, ... usually it's different angles, ... and I give a brief description of the people ... and architecture."

I have followed his instagram account since it was created and have seen it grow to nearly 250 followers.

You can follow him on Instagram using @roistl, or by clicking this link.

Here is an example of a typical post on King's Instagram account, @roistl. Screenshot taken by Ethan Roberts, picture and caption by Justin King.

The Power of Photography

There is no doubt about it - photography can evoke strong emotions. When I asked King about his favorite moment doing architectural photography, he exemplified that statement.

"One of my favorite times that I went out to take pictures was a summer or two ago," King said. "It was evening, and the sun was ... starting to ... set. ... There's a prairie right below [Eagle Cliff Cemetery], and it looks out over the entirety of ... the floodplains. You could see all the way across, you could see several miles .... Moments like that are where I am ... at my happiest."

This reason is exactly why I want to explore photography. I want to capture emotional scenes like the one King described, and I want to get out of my bubble and explore the world around me to find these scenes.

Once again, I would like to thank Justin King for participating in this interview with me. You can find a video of our interview down below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGi3yW5nwko