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Sam Jezak: Behind the Lens By Michael Shtrom

Photos by Sam Jezak & Ahnika Mangalick

In early 2020, the staff of The Perennial was informed that the newspaper would undergo a significant change: it would lean more heavily on its visual department. This would entail more photographs and color on each page of the paper. The man behind this new evolution of The Perennial was newly hired history teacher Sam Jezak, who was inspired by his longtime passion for photography.

“The first photos that I ever took were on a family road trip when I was eight,” Jezak said. “We went to Yellowstone, and my mom gave my brother and me disposable cameras.”

Since he began, Jezak’s skills and passion for photography have evolved. However, he admits that a lengthy process was required to attain his prowess.

“You have to carve out time in your schedule to relax and do things that aren’t work,” Jezak said. “Especially as a teacher, you can work all the time if you’re not careful. So, it became an excuse to get outside and take my camera with me. I just kept taking photos and that’s the way I got better at it.”

After years of practice and perfecting his craft, Jezak has established a routine to his photography trips.

“The best light is at sunrise and sunset,” Jezak said. “I’ll get there a couple hours before sunset. Then I’ll start hiking around and seeing where the best sunset locations are. Regardless of where I go, I’m going to slow down at sunset and take some pictures.”

Although he thinks of photography mainly as a hobby, Jezak has also won numerous awards for his photographs, including the 2021 A Shot in the Park People’s Choice Awards. However, he does not let this cloud his true passion.

“It’s not something that I think about while I’m taking photos, but that positive feedback definitely makes you want to go take more photos and it also makes you want to spend more time on it,” Jezak said. “Art is usually so long-term, so there’s not usually immediate gratification.”

Despite all of the awards, hikes, and sunsets, Jezak still believes that the best part of photography is the emotional response it garners from others. His favorite response was his mother’s reaction to a photograph of herself taken while the two were hiking. The photo had won a contest that placed it on the 2021 Parks Pass, which grants visitors access to various national parks.

“The best reaction is really from her,” Jezak said. “Whenever she pulls out her Parks Pass, that’s her on the card and that’s a pretty cool reaction.”