After watching his brother practice photography for years as a kid, sophomore Collin Rule discovered a newfound love for the hobby. Ever since that discovery, Rule has spent his pastime doing what he loves: taking photos.

Rule’s endeavors in photography began with him and a friend as a mere pastime. When he realized that he might be able to make money off of it, the hobby became more of a job.

“It started with just me and my friend messing around with photography. Recently when I got a more vintage car, I started going to car meets and taking pictures of cars,” Rule said. “I was already into taking pictures so I just figured I might as well make money off of it by having people pay me to take pictures of their cars.”

Rule’s interest in photography gave him the opportunity to take photos for other people around the Kansas City area. His photography skills compounded with another of his obsessions, cars, to become an irresistible hobby for him to engage in on a weekly basis.

“I take a lot of pictures, especially of cars in Overland Park, Shawnee and areas in Missouri. I go to different car meets to take pictures for people,” Rule said. “Other times I go and meet with different low profile artists and shoot photos or videos for them.”

Rule often takes pictures for people who might be considered to be low profile artists. Another common clientele for Rule is other car enthusiasts who want to have a photoshoot with their cars.

“My photography appeals to a lot of people who are SoundCloud rappers or very small-tier artists,” Rule said. “It can also just be people who have a cool or custom car that they have been working on by themselves.”

Sucked into photography relatively early, Rule believes that it has benefitted him by allowing him to do something he enjoys while also making a little bit of money off of it. He is confident that his experience in photography has given him an avenue to a potential job in the future.

“I have been able to make money on the side while also learning a lot and being able to do something that I actually enjoy doing,” Rule said. “It has given me a lot of experience in photography which is a fun skill to have and something that I can probably use in the future.”

On top of all this, photography is a very enjoyable pastime for Rule. According to Rule, it allows him to show his creativity and be free while actively doing something that he enjoys and can make money from.

“I enjoy how creative photography allows me to be,” Rule said. “I enjoy being able to have a hobby that is really simple and is something that I am able to do anywhere I want.”