He grins from ear to ear as he stares at his name, engraved on the official gold plaque. To others, it’s probably just a jumble of letters, giving credit to the striking pictures that hang on the wall. But for freshman Austin Leih, it tells a different story. The name tag reflects all the hard work that he’s put into the hobby he loves. It represents the level of concentration he gave to capture the perfect shot.  It stands for everything he is and hopes to accomplish. Even though he’s only 15, the amount of passion he has for what he does is surreal.

“My obsession of documenting is probably the way it got started,” Austin said.  “I was really into capturing moments that were important to me. I wanted to document family or nature for the way it was.”

Austin is a teenage guy who chose photography as his passion and dedicates large amounts of effort into his craft. His intentions weren’t always to be well-known. Originally, he picked up photography as just a hobby, but the hobby escalated into a small business . Not only do his photos get recognition, but videos that he posts on his YouTube channel, Gateway Images, also get noticed with over 200,000 views .

“I was four or five when it started, back in Missouri when I had a creek in my backyard with a cheap flip camera,” Austin said. “I made short films on that until the fifth grade when I got my first expensive camera.”

He quickly escalated the quality of his work following his purchase. His portfolio since then and has enlarged with hundreds upon thousands of unique and jaw-dropping pictures.

“Anything that you put out there you have to be 100 percent proud of, and feel that it’s your next big work,” Austin said. “That’s what’s neat about photography, how you can transfer emotions. If I think something is amazing, I want others to feel the same thing.”

Austin enjoys using endless landscapes, breathtaking views, and sometimes his closest family and friends as subjects.

“I’d wake up in the morning, see the sunrise and think, ‘Oh, I have to take some shots,” Austin said. “Then if I take a picture of somebody, it requires a lot more time and effort, because you want the final product to be a lot more thought-provoking since it’s an actual person with thoughts and emotions.”

Austin’s work has not only made its way around the internet, but it’s been shown on company banners, CD covers and advertisements.

“Four of my pictures have been presented at Roots Coffee Shop, and I was hired to take pictures for Planet Wisdom,” Austin said. “I’ve done various shoots for companies, such as Swim Across America. They also place my photo on their fliers every year, which I think is really neat. I keep a page every time.”

As much attention as Austin has had for his work, he doesn’t let it get to his head . What keeps him going is his desire to bring inspiration to others

“You know when you play soccer when you’re six and you think you’re going to be the next professional player? I think my intention was always to be a professional and carry it out for the rest of my life, but it was in the form of a dream,” Austin said. “Like, it isn’t entirely plausible, but there is always a chance. I love doing it because it’s my hobby.”

Although he receives recognition from crowds of strangers, he never really knows how to react to all the attention that he gets.

“I’m awkward when I get compliments,because I never really know how to respond,” Austin said. “Thinking that my work is something extraordinary never crosses my mind, since it’s just so normal to me. I don’t really try to throw myself around, but it makes me happy when people enjoy my work.”

Austin continues to travel the world, expect adventure and capture the moments that he feels are important. Going to new places and meeting new people are his favorite things to live by, because, for him change can open doors to opportunity.

“You always try to put your best foot forward, because you never know the outcome,” Austin said. “Don’t plan too much, because getting there is half the journey.” Go to www.austinleih.com to view his images, know more about him, and even book senior portraits.