| Ledger correspondent
Lakeland’s David Radsick mentioned it was by no means his intention to enter pictures as a profession, however in a flash, it appeared to have occurred.
And over the past two years, he is had the prospect to {photograph} a number of celebrities, journey america and even grow to be pals with among the stars.
Since his first shoot in 2018, the 21-year-old photographer has taken footage of: American comic, actor Karlous Miller; web persona, comic, actor, host, rapper and singer-songwriter D.C. Younger Fly (John Whitfield); and comic, actor, singer, author, rapper, and producer Chico Bean (Anthony Bean).
Radsick’s networking led him to {photograph} rapper, singer-songwriter Wealthy Homie Quan (Dequantes Lamar); Atlanta-based comic, actor, and author Desi Banks; Donald De La Haye, identified on-line as prolific YouTuber “Deestroying;” Joseph “Jake” Paul, American YouTuber, web persona, actor, {and professional} boxer; Desmond Bryant, American soccer extensive receiver for the Baltimore Ravens of the Nationwide Soccer League; and Tyreek Hill, for the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs of the NFL.
Radsick, who graduated from George Jenkins Excessive Faculty in 2017, mentioned his foray into novice pictures started in late 2018. By August 2019, he messaged Miller about taking footage of Miller’s present in Tampa. He additionally started capturing footage and movies for his good friend and rapper-producer Omar Rodriguez, who was first to ask Radsick to {photograph} an occasion.
Radsick shot Miller’s “The 85 South Comedy Present” Tampa efficiency and it went so properly Miller had him be one among his photographers for his YouTube podcast “The 85 South Comedy Present.” That present unites Miller, D.C. Younger Fly and Chico Bean presenting the Southern U.S.’s greatest new comedy expertise and the hosts’ freestyling rap and comedy abilities.
“It’s been nice; I at all times appreciated pictures. I might take footage with my cellphone and simply take footage of the whole lot. I didn’t know I used to be so keen about it till after I purchased my cameras,” mentioned Radsick, who was working at a Lakeland automotive wash earlier than beginning his pictures profession. “I exploit each {photograph} as a networking instrument for photograph shoots.”
In February 2019, Radsick made his first pay, $40, capturing footage in Lakeland’s Munn Park for a good friend’s enterprise portfolio.
“I used to be like, ‘Wow, I could make some cash doing this.’ I made enterprise playing cards, did lots of jobs free of charge and I used to be making an attempt to formulate a plan to make this presumably a profession,” he mentioned. “Folks have been encouraging me. I noticed I’m respectable at this and wanted to get extra severe about it.”
From February to July 2019, after shopping for one other digital camera, Radsick’s pictures enterprise quickly picked up, getting jobs for $80, $100 and $275 and up. By September 2019, he had give up his automotive washing job and started photographing fulltime. Throughout that point, D.C. Younger Fly requested Radsick to take footage at his comedy present in Sacramento, California, which led to extra photograph work.
After three days in California, Radsick got here again to Lakeland and started once more working with Banks, “The 85 South Present” and in March, acquired to shoot for the “Wild ‘N Out” MTV comedy and improv recreation present in Jacksonville, Miami and Orlando. In June, De La Haye (“Deestroying”) requested Radsick to be his private photographer.
“He appreciated me and he mentioned, ‘Let’s work.’ He requested me to maneuver nearer, so in June, I moved to his residence in Sarasota. I began touring with him throughout the U.S. for his YouTube movies and met different stars that manner,” mentioned Radsick.
Talking from Scotsdale, Arizona, De La Haye mentioned Radsick’s photographs stood out when he was interviewing photographers for the job. Radsick was employed and the 2 grew to become pals.
“He’s actually good at what he does. He has a watch for good photographs which you could’t simply be taught, it’s pure,” mentioned De La Haye, who’s identified for his movies of sports-related skits and vlogs speaking about his life journey from his Costa Rican homeland. “He’s devoted to getting the most effective pictures in any state of affairs. He’s at all times making an attempt to consider higher methods to do issues and enhance.”
And Radsick mentioned he’d like sometime to grow to be a motivational speaker.
“I need to enterprise off and be my very own creator; I need to encourage. I don’t make any 10-year targets as a result of I understand how quick life can change and I need to be prepared when it does,” he mentioned.
Along with nonetheless pictures, Radsick was the videographer for Rodriguez’s music movies “Forgive Them” and “Zone” this 12 months.
A Lakeland native, Radsick is the son of the late David Radsick Sr., and Sherry Douglas. His brother is Wesley Smith and sisters are Tiffany Smith and Summer time Johnson.
Supply: www.theledger.com
