Voted "most unique" is high school, Joe Frio has continued to stand out from the pack through the flash of his camera.
Born and raised in Andover, Frio has always had a flare for photography. He remembers playing with disposable cameras when he was just a child.
"You could always tell which photo was mine," said Frio. "My photos were always crooked. I thought it looked cool."
The 21-year-old will participate in his second Art in the Park next month with a photographer friend.
"Last year we were sitting around and thinking 'We should take part in an art fair or something,'" said Frio. "Then I thought 'Oh, we should do the one in Andover.'"
Frio's passion for photography grew stronger in high school and he took a few photography classes at Andover High School.
"I love making a picture that I can sit and stare at for hours," said Frio.
Frio said he thrived under the encouragement of photography teacher Sara Bettencourt. "She encouraged my photography," he said. "She was always excited to see what I had next. She loved that I loved what I was doing."
After graduating from AHS in 2007, Frio enrolled at the New England School Photography in Boston, where he majored in advertising and minored in creative imaging and arts. He graduated in 2009.
"I learned a lot of technical things," said Frio. "My photos went from weird and moody to being technically sound. I know what I am doing now. I've developed the way I see light and subject matter. I take my time now."
Frio knows that more goes into a picture than just a press of a button. "People don't realize how we make a good picture. People who dabble in photography know nothing about what we do," he said.
One of Frio's final projects involved taking multiple head shots of different people and manipulating them together in Photoshop to create a completely different face.
"Everyone's face is structurally the same and yet completely different at the same time," said Frio. "The idea just came to me and I thought it would be awesome to try it out."
Proving that everything comes full circle, Frio now works at NESOP as a teacher's assistant in the school's digital lab. He helps students with Photoshop and printing. Frio has aspirations to eventually teach photography, and says helping the students has become a rewarding experience for him.
"Being someone who just went through the process, it was cool to see them go through it and help them," said Frio. "It was cool to see them so grateful."
Frio has been doing an array of work, from landscapes to senior portraits to real estate. His long-term goals include owning a studio and having his photography featured in magazines and art galleries.
However, Frio's main goal is to continue making art he cares about.
"Art is anything made by someone who is passionate about making it," said Frio.
The Andovers Artists Guild, a non-profit organization, will host the 36th Art in the Park event from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 11 in the Park at the corner of Chestnut and Bartlet streets. Attracting artists from all over New England, Art in the Park donates proceeds from the event to the Andovers Guild Scholarship Fund for high school seniors entering college to pursue a career in art.
Sara Brown is an Andover resident and graduate of Andover High School.
