Resident’s eye for photography gives him an edge

by Emily Canning-Dean

It wasn’t until high school that PJ Apostle learned he had a talent for photography, but since that time he has had several photographs published in a prestigious magazine and even sells some of his work in the area.

Recently, a sunset photo Apostle took at the beach in Florida was published in Photographer’s Edge Magazine and this is the seventh time the magazine has published Apostle’s work.

“I have taken a number of sunset photos and I make them into cards and 8 by 10 pictures,” he said. “I really like to take a lot of photos of nature. I also like to take a lot of floral pictures.”

Apostle admits another pair of favorite muses are his dogs, Roxy and Molly.

“I walk my dogs in the park every day and that brings up a lot of good opportunities for pictures or even just the two of them playing together at home makes for good pictures,” he said. “Taking pictures of nature and my dogs are probably my two favorite things.”

Apostle, who works in IT for Medical Mutual, said he never considered becoming a professional photographer, but when he was attending Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School, teacher Joe Applebaum saw something special in his work.

“I was just taking the photography class to fulfill my fine arts requirement and then he said he thought I should start selling my photographs,” he said.

After graduating in 2002, Apostle kept taking photos. He said traveling gave him a great opportunity to see new things and show perspective through his photographs. He has been to a number of locations including Hawaii, Paris and Rome.

“I like to go to historic sites and also I just really like to get pictures of nature when I travel like mountains or bodies of water,” he said.

While he loves to travel, Apostle said he also enjoys taking photos closer to home. The Brecksville gazebo is a favorite spot and some of his floral photos can be found for sale at Brecksville Florist.

Apostle said anyone interested in purchasing cards with his photos on them can contact him at pjapostle@yahoo.com.

“I sell individual cards, but I also sell boxes of the cards if that is what people would prefer,” he said.

Besides selling his photos, Apostle takes time to enjoy his own work around his condo and also donates some of his work for good causes.

“My condo is decorated with photo collages using some of the photos I took,” he said. “My mother, a long time ago, created a neighborhood woman’s group and they do a lot of different charity work, so I’ve donated some of my photos for that group to use. I have also donated my photos to be used at church fundraisers and also a library fundraiser.”

Apostle also shared some advice for other aspiring photographers.

“When you get started take multiple pictures and then select your best work,” he said. “Taking a lot of pictures gives you practice and helps you to get better at it. Also try taking pictures from a lot of different angles. I always take them from different angles to see what is going to look the best.” ∞

Apostle says one of his favorite places in Brecksville to photograph is the gazebo.

PJ Apostle’s sunset photo taken in Florida was recently published in Photographer’s Edge Magazine.