Charles Beard Jr. strives to share his knowledge and experiences with the next generation when it comes to photography.
From schools to sports, Beard Jr. has served as a freelance photographer in both Indiana and Illinois. He has done photography work for organizations such as Varsity Views, Grad Images and GreatNews.Life.
Beard Jr. grew up as the oldest of three children on the west side of Chicago before moving to Blue Island when he was 8 years old. When it comes to his passion in becoming a photographer, he credits his aunt for helping him find inspiration at an early age.
“My aunt gave me this yellow film camera when I was just a kid and I enjoyed it so much,” Beard Jr. said.” I took pictures of pretty much almost anything in the house. Sometimes I would even get shots of my classmates in action and some of my old classes.”
This opened the door for Beard Jr. to join the yearbook committee in high school, which is where the motivation started to pick up.
“It was my sophomore year of high school,” Beard Jr. said. “My theology teacher was the yearbook moderator. She was very motivational and driven. She asked me if I wanted to assist her on the committee’s staff next year since they were in need of photographers, and I agreed.”
When he was assigned to cover his first football game, that’s when Beard Jr.’s skills were utilized. Covering that game gave him the realization that his passion for photography could be a career path to pursue after graduation.
Following high school, he attended Governors State University from 2014 to 2022, where he began to manage more freelancing opportunities and started working at a photojournalism company. Beard Jr. received a bachelor’s degree in communication and media studies.
He intends to get his master’s degree from graduate school within the next year. The ultimate goal for Beard Jr. as a photographer is to get affiliated with the highest level in sports.
“I really want to be a part of division one or professional sports,” Beard Jr. said. “Growing up in the area, working as a journalist for teams such as the Chicago White Sox or the Chicago Bears would be an awesome experience to have one day."
The most important lesson Beard Jr. has learned over time is to stay true to yourself and take initiative when the opportunity presents itself.
“Staying humble is the most important thing,” Beard Jr. said. “Don’t be afraid to learn something new that you’ve never tried before. Don’t be afraid to lean on veteran photographers at times. Don’t be afraid to get that one shot nobody else knows about. Everyone has a different style when it comes to photography.”
Beard Jr. also says that he loves to give advice to the high school public publication photographers and serve as a mentor for people that might want to follow a similar career path to him.
Outside of photography, Beard Jr. also works at Jewel Osco. He also would like to utilize his freelancing clientele experience to help him get involved with teaching. However, Beard Jr. has no intention to let go of photography anytime soon.