AN EMERGING COMOX VALLEY PHOTOGRAPHER

A young photographer shares some of his favourite work so far

Finding beauty in the ordinary


I’ve lived in Courtenay for nine years—more than half my life—and I often feel bored with this little town. I once read that photography is finding the beauty in the ordinary, and I think of that often as a reminder to look a little closer. When I do, there is always something that catches my eye.

I’m 16 years old, so I haven’t yet defined a specific photographic style for myself. I do feel strongly that the passion photographers have for their work is very important. I don’t think AI will ever replace art, because AI can recreate any photo I take, but it could never tell you why I took it.

Photography is more than making an image, it is telling a story. These are the stories behind three of my favourite photos.

Photo 1: Bleeding Heart

This photo was taken when I was shooting for the CV Collective back in May. It was the first subject I was drawn to—possibly out of pure panic—but I loved how well I captured the detail in the end. There are elements of contrast with the background and leading lines in the stem that make the bright colours of the flower stand out. I put a lot of work into editing this photo, making sure the flower stood out against the dark background I created. Shooting for publication was a massive milestone along my photography journey, and I remember how high my standards were for that shoot. I was disappointed with almost all my photographs from that day, but this one stood out so far from the rest and I am so proud of it.

Photo 2: Pouring Wine

My first step into studio photography was this project. I spent hours breaking and glueing wine glasses to create props for this shoot. The background was a piece of thrifted vinyl (it’s come in very handy as a backdrop many times since then) and I chose the bottle of wine because it has a cat on it. My dad was off camera pouring the wine into the broken glass. I think it’s a great example of a motion shot with the wine splattering onto the background. A lot of contrast and shadow is at play in this photograph, as well as strong colours. I have a small portfolio of images from that project that ultimately represent betrayal, facades, drama, and the concept of being stabbed in the back. Despite the heavy concept, I had a lot of fun shooting this project. I really enjoy creating photographs, not just taking them, and the ability to design and manufacture my set is something I’ve found I quite like. I’ve continued to curate and create studio photographs since then, and it has become one of my favourite photography styles.

Emerging Comox Valley photographer, Jax McAllister

Photo 3: White Truck (featured photo)


My best friend and her love of trucks inspired me to shoot some images at Valley Affordable in Royston. I was drawn to the repetition and colours in this shot, and I also saw strong potential for a post-apocalyptic theme, with the overall rundown, rusted tone, the dirt on the truck, and the plants in the foreground. This vintage, grungy style (inspired by my friend’s photography) is far out of my photographic comfort zone, as I usually present a much cleaner studio element in my photos. With so many trucks left for scrap, there is definitely a theme of destruction and waste to this image. While junkyards are interesting places for creative photographs, they bring to light a very wasteful side of the world.