By Jared Hinderer

For many young adults, middle school and high school is a time when they discover skills that they will use for the rest of their lives. For many, this is writing, playing an instrument, or developing skills in a certain sport.

However, senior Parker McCullough’s new found skill came in the form of photo manipulation.

“I started using photo manipulation software in 6-7th grade,” said McCullough. “I think one day I decided to manipulate a photo for MySpace to get more friends or something.”

McCullough has since further developed his skills as photographer, editor, and cinematographer, largely teaching himself, but not forgetting that he learned the basics of design through arts classes at school. He draws inspiration from a creative designer named James Lano, that works out of Orlando, Florida.

“There are some people I really look up to; one is James Lano, he’s a really talented dude,” said McCullough

Like Lano, many of McCullough’s works are based on many different ideas and subjects, and are not just limited to his own life. With reactions to his work often being positive, McCullough has even attracted some attention from others, leading him to also do work for them.

“I’ve done it [editing and design work] for friends, DJ’s, school clubs, bands, and photographers,” McCullough said.

Whether the subject be himself, his car, or starting a design from scratch, Parker uses the top names in media editing software to assist him in is work.     “For picture editing I use Photoshop CS5 and Adobe Lightroom 4.2, and for cinematography I film with my Canon Rebel T3i and edit in Final Cut Pro X,” said McCullough.

Having done this work for others, including businesses and organizations, McCullough has started on his way to making a career out of his hobby. Parker plans to attend college in pursuit of a degree in graphic design, and follow through with being a designer. Realizing others may want to follow him, Parker offers this advice: “Just try hard and practice, and be original.”

In the end, McCullough best summed up the reason behind his work when he said, “I do this stuff because it’s something I’m truly passionate about and I never get tired of it.”