Momenta welcomes this week’s guestagrammer, Harrison Hill

Age:
21

Current job:
Senior Photojournalism student at Western Kentucky University

Current location:
Bowling Green, KY

Website:
www.harrisonhillphoto.com

Connection to Momenta:

I first learned about momenta through my photo editor at the LA Times. He gave me the day off and allowed me to attend the 1-day Photo Biz Skills workshop in LA. After that I was hooked. Just a few months later I participated in the Project Portland photo workshop in Portland, OR.

Camp 8 brush fire squad members (from left) Jason Polhill, Eric Moreno, and Evan Davis take a break as a valley catches fire in Duarte, California on June 20, 2016. As temperatures reached triple digits, more than 1,000 firefighters deployed to fight two fires that raged just miles apart from each other in Duarte and Azusa, California. Together, the fires burned around 5,000 acres and forced the evacuation of at least 770 homes according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.  @Harrison Hill

Tell us about your journey as an image-maker and how you got to where you are today.
I was first introduced to photography through my father, who was a photographer and editor in the late 80s. In high school, I realized that photography was the only thing that kept me going, so I decided to take things further and study photojournalism. There, I gained a passion for storytelling that has given me complete fulfillment in life.

Competitors dog pile on top of each other in celebration after completing the 42nd annual Hermosa Beach Iron man at Hermosa Beach on July 4, 2016. Participants ran a mile, paddle boarded a mile, then chugged a six-pack of beer during the competition.  @Harrison Hill

What stories or issues are you most passionate about covering?
I am most passionate about covering the complex American subcultures and the issues that hide between our main highways. The stories we tell in our own backyards are usually the ones that have the biggest effect on our lives and the lives of the ones around us.

LOS ANGELES, CA-JUNE 12, 2016: Gracie Cartier, middle, takes a moment to rest in Mickey’s nightclub during the annual LA Pride Parade in West Hollywood. @Harrison Hill

Where do you look for inspiration for your work: books, movies, authors, photographers, art, certain people?
There is a multitude of things I do to get inspired. I am always checking out people’s work online and seeing what my peers are covering in their communities. I also have a small photo book collection that I look to for inspiration.

University of West Florida ROTC cadet Freud Tanelus holds back tears after exposing his face to CS gas during his Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear training in Fort Knox, Kentucky. For the training, cadets had to enter the chamber fully protected and then take off their masks to expose their faces to the CS gas. “The training is about confidence in yourself, confidence in your equipment and confidence in a toxic environment,” Kurt Crawford, Senior Technical Advisor at the CBRN site, said. @Harrison Hill

What social media or news feeds do you follow regularly?
I follow all of the major media outlets (New York Times, Washington Post, etc.) I also follow a lot of urban culture magazines like Complex and Fader Magazine. I love keeping up with the latest trends in music, fashion, etc.

What is one passion you have outside of photography that might come as a surprise to our readers?
I love distance running. One of my biggest goals outside of photography is to qualify for the Boston Marathon, which I am hoping to achieve in the next couple of years.

Coney island clowns dance atop of a mobile boombox during the first day of the Electric Daisy Carnival at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. More than 400,000 festival goers migrated to Las Vegas to celebrate the 20th anniversary of EDC. The sold-out festival featured eight stages, multiple art installations, theatrical performers, and much more. @Harrison Hill

What can we expect to see this week from your guestagramming on our Momenta Instagram account?
I will be posting work from my time as an intern for the Los Angeles Times this past summer. I will also be displaying work from the Project Portland Workshop.

#seizethemomenta, and follow @momentaworkshops on Instagram to see Harrison’s great work!