Virginia Peninsula [has] helped me by teaching me everything [I could possibly] want to know about photography.
Virginia Peninsula Community College student Ayren Martin landed in the national spotlight when his work was published in Photographer Forum's Best of Photography 2017 publication. He counts this achievement among his greatest accomplishments to date. "It is the first photography contest that I have been accepted into. Photography is such a competitive field. I'm just happy to have my work displayed," Martin said.
The photography major's interest in the craft dates back to childhood when his mom gave him his first film camera. He went on to take photography classes in high school before deciding to enroll at Virginia Peninsula. "Virginia Peninsula [has] helped me by teaching me everything [I could possibly] want to know about photography. [The College} has also exposed [me] to different methods of creating photography," Martin said.
He says Associate Professor Cathy Layton helped him grow as an artist and motivated him to produce his best work while adjunct faculty member Michael Wessel taught him about large format photography and the potential for great creativity with a 4 x5 camera. "I would recommend the photography program. I have been very happy with the program," Martin said.
He plans to continue his education at Old Dominion University or Virginia Commonwealth University.