Today we’d like to introduce you to Wes Porter.
Hi Wes, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, you could tell our readers some of your backstory.
My story began 8 months ago on the day I lost my partner, my wife, and my best friend of 12 years. I thought I had life mostly figured out, not perfect, but I had everything I could ask for. I had an excellent job as a data analyst, allowing me to work remotely. I was able to return and call my favorite city home. We purchased a modest, older house in North Knoxville the year before to put roots down finally – a home I’d slowly grown to love. I had plans and dreams.
Then, one summer evening, everything changed. One confession, and in an instant, everything I thought I knew was upside down. I was upside down. I spent the next few months consumed by sorrow and loss. I found myself downtown a lot. One evening, I had a drink at PoMo (post-modern). The bartender asked me what I did. I remember saying, “I take pictures,” which was barely true. I hadn’t picked up a camera since college, but in that moment, something compelled me to say yeah, photos. That’s my thing.
I went home. I started following any photography accounts I could find and feeding the algorithm. I got an ad for a Nikon camera – a Nikon Zfc. Perfect travel size camera, tactile with little knobs for all the settings, retro, easily mistaken for an 80s era film camera but digital with all the modern features. Perfect. I bought it on the spot the next day or the day after. It’s an impulse buy, for sure. I wanted to burn money, and this felt like a safer way to do it. I have a good camera now and need help using it. So I dived into books, began studying famous photographers like Annie Leibovitz, and went on YouTube deep dives, anything that might help me learn. It became an obsession, a distraction I desperately needed whenever I was alone – almost all the time.
I started carrying the camera with me everywhere I went. It was an excuse to leave the house, walk around the city, and capture anything that caught my eye. Mostly street art at first, my favorite coffee shops, Old City – the things I love most about Knoxville, things that reflect something about whatever weird gravity this place holds on us. Then, I began to travel to The Smokies, New York City, Atlanta, and Charleston. I couldn’t move fast enough. There is too much to see, too much to capture. I started posting my favorite shots from trips and when I’d return to Knoxville. I’d returned a little better, and the Knoxville shots got better. Then I’d feel the itch to travel, to move quickly again. So I took off work and ventured to Austin, San Antonio, Marfa, Santa Fe, and Albuquerque on a two-week solo road trip travel photography. That could be my thing. I just wanted to go, to create. There is no mission, no predefined artistic vision; create. Something I could pour an ocean of grief into. So 9 months later, here I am. Wandering around town, still learning, capturing moments and places that remind me of what makes Knoxville unique: what it means to be local.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Regarding photography, my biggest struggles have been allowing myself the freedom to be imperfect and to give myself grace. It’s easy to look at professional photographers and see a huge talent gap between where I am now and where I’d like to be. It is easy to shy away from opportunities because I feel like “I’m not ready yet.” It’s an excellent motivation to keep experimenting with new techniques and not fear failure and bad shots if I learn something from them. And yeah, it would be good to figure out how to transition from amateur to actually providing a professional service, spinning up a small side gig, perhaps, and learning how to earn for (hopefully) good work.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar with what you do, what can you tell them about what you do?
“What do I do?” I take photos. I’m a photographer primarily interested in street photography and street art. I like to travel solo and wander, so that’s become a common element of the photographs I share. I focus on digital photography. I was – still am interested in film, but I knew if I wanted to learn quickly, the film would slow me down. There is too much turnaround time, so I waited for it to be developed to see results. I like the instant feedback of digital and the ability to edit photos – that’s probably my calling card if I have one yet. I want to wander, take some shots throughout the day, and then find a spot at the end of the bar to settle into and edit photos.
What am I most proud of? Getting comfortable being alone, think about it: when you’re comfortable in your space, you notice things that people otherwise pass by. I recently got a shot of Tern Club on one of my late-night haunts, which I’m proud of. Night photography has been super challenging, and finally, landing a good shot of one of my favorite spots in town felt encouraging. I can see a future where I do this not just as a hobby but perhaps something more. Tern Club reached out to ask if they could use the image in their media, and it was great to feel like I was helping one of my favorite businesses in town and creating something that resonated with them.
Can you talk to us about happiness and what makes you happy?
Looking at a shot and seeing every element of the photograph lock in – the composition, the lighting, the right subject at the right time. When you see it and can say without any editing, damn, I think that’s a perfect photo – that’s a feeling worth chasing. And yeah, having others show interest in my work – in a way that helps them convey something they’re trying to say about themselves, their business, or our city.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wesporterphotography.pixieset.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roamingwesphotos/
- Other: https://linktr.ee/wesporterphotos
Image Credits
Wes Porter
