Meet Jerry Silva of Js.snapshot

Pfc. Douglas L. Cordo, United States Army died Friday August 19, 2011 in Zabul, Afghanistan. He was my best friend and a part of my self died with him that day. Douglas was replacing me on a mission because I was on R&R “rest and relaxation” so I was able to go home and see my family and marry my wife Bree. I was so ready to give my life for my country but had no idea that I could lose my own happiness and how that would impact me and others. Struggling with suicidal thoughts and watching others take their own life after deployment. I decided to get out of the military and move back to Idaho. I was suffering really bad with depression and felt completely lost because everyone around you expects the older version of you.The person that won class clown and was on the improv team but that person was gone and I was so lost. Dark nights turned into really dark years and I finally wanted to get out of my bed of sorrows because I knew my best friend didn’t die for me to throw my life away. I started to try and figure my self out. I remembered that I loved videography in high school so I saved my money for a Rebel Canon t7i to start making videos hoping that it would make me happy. After doing a couple of client work things started to slow down and I had a lot of free time on my hands. I decided to just listen to music and walk around taking photos. I instantly fell in love with photography and kept taking photos because it felt like the world faded away when I was behind that camera. I had couple of people tell me that I had a real eye and should try doing portraits, started doing photos for friends and family and started teaching my self how to edit those photos from YouTube. At times I struggled with my own emotions but it didn’t matter because I could capture any emotion I wanted.

I would listen to YouTube at work in the car even in the bathroom trying to learn how to make my photos look different. I felt like there were a lot of established photographers in Idaho already and was hard to get shoots. I also heard a lot of negative things in Idaho like js.snapshot sounds like a cheap name and that my work was over contrast, I would never change anything for other people I really felt that most people just didn’t understand my look. I quit my job packed up my apartment and moved my family out Arizona with no plan. Arizona has welcome me with open arms and has shown so much love. Anyone suffering with depression I would say stop chasing happiness and start creating it.

Struggling with forgiveness can be extremely hard, Douglas L Cordo was the only child and my heart goes out to Tracy Litts Karson and Christopher Karson because Im a father of two kids and I could only imagine how they feel. Working a full-time job, being a dad and a husband, and then teaching my self-photography was defiantly hard but not impossible. I had to sacrifice somethings like friendships because when I’m not with my family I have to be working on my craft and get better. I will always say “never listen to hate and negativity” but you have to be coachable so you can learn and grow. Humble your self and listen to what others have to say even after they just talked trash on your photo for ten minutes. I toke a couple Ls on the road but once I started viewing the L as a lesson and not a Loss things got a little better. Staying positive and focus on things you have control over like your craft. Stop comparing your self to other because your stories are not the same.

I am a photographer and specialize in portrait photography. People who have done photo shoots with me know me for playing music and having fun. I don’t pose my models but will make small adjustments like a t-rex arm or something I set my self apart from other photographers by making a fun environment with my energy.

Doing photography full time would be absolutely amazing but I’ve been doing photography for less then two years and really have been enjoying the process. I always compare it to losing weight because its never over night but you will look back couple months later and see a big differences. I would love to work with more music artist and athletes. I would love to have a couple billboards.