John Fluharty
Shooting on Location
John Fluharty calls himself a people watcher. He's constantly observing how people act and behave. His favorite photographs are ones that capture a person's intimate movement or raw emotion in their natural element. "I think portraits are boring, but if you put a person in an environment and observe them, then the result is extraordinary," says the 21-year-old Charleston native.
Though John's photography style developed in West Virginia, the state is now a footprint in his world adventure. In January he traveled to Egypt for two weeks during a break from The University of St. Andrews, the Scotland school where he studies philosophy. He is the photography editor of The Saint, the university's student newspaper.
"I have done a decent amount of travel for someone my age and it has left a big impression on me," says John. "Though, I realize that the best way to learn of a culture, or of the world for that matter, is to actually live in an area. I have so much more of the world left to see."
He would some day like to visit Iran, which tops the list of places he'd like to photograph. "I think there is a lot of beauty in the Muslim world that is often looked over by the West," he says.
Self-taught, John turned to photography because he couldn't paint-like many photographers, he says. He has always looked for different ways to express himself, but photography is the one he excels at and enjoys the most. His passion lies not only in photography, but in everything he does.
Some people purposefully take pictures to evoke a certain response. Not John-he simply loves seeing people's reactions. "I certainly hope my photos will affect others. Perhaps the best thing an artist can hope to do is draw a strong emotional reaction to their work; whatever emotion that might be."
The future is exciting for John, who recently graduated from Charleston Catholic High School. He'd like to teach philosophy at a university or perhaps get into journalism. If he does pursue photography as a career, he'd like to do it along with something else. Career or not, he'll always look for that perfect image.
"Like every artist, I have a dream to live in New York in a studio apartment, creating art. Perhaps even Paris; I love the French. Whatever I do, I want to be creating something."
