Jack Usry always seemed to view life through the lens of his camera, and would always turn the most ordinary moments of our friendship into a works of art. He captured things that took his breath away, which usually included moments with friends and family that were important enough to treasure them forever. Whenever I was a subject in his photos, I always felt tremendously valued and appreciated. Though I am admittedly not very good at taking photos and any success I have is mostly accidental, photography over the last several months has become an important part of how I process the world around me.

Jack's influence in my life undoubtedly changed me. I learned to love Bob Dylan and stand up comedy, and how to make the best spicy black bean and egg sandwiches. I learned how to make friends with the most unlikely people and what it means to live every day to the fullest without any care for what other people think about me. I still walk barefoot to make sure my calluses are better than everyone else's, use masking tape for everything, and overeat every time I go to Inoko.

I still have so much to learn from Jack about taking time to rest and appreciate the places and people around me. I take photos in his memory because it helps me feel closer to him, and hopefully using a camera to walk in his footsteps will help me begin to see the world as he did.