15 minutes with Courtney Frederick - interviewed by Donald Ring, Icon summer intern

Let's start off with the basics: growing up, what schools did you attend and graduate from?
Growing up I was a little all over the place, kindergarten at Columbus Grove, first to10th grade in Bluffton, and 11th and 12th in Pandora-Gilboa. I graduated in 2006 from Pandora-Gilboa.

Do you remember who you sat next to in third grade?
In the third grade I had Mrs. Reese for a teacher, who I remember loving because she did not believe in homework. I sat next to Gayle Zimmerman and maybe Jonah Cox, too, I am sure I remember sitting next to both of them at different times.

What was your favorite food in the cafeteria in middle school?
My favorite food in the middle school cafeteria was a whatchamacallit candy bar.

What were some of the extracurricular activities that you were involved in while attending Bluftton High School?

I was in choir, concert band and I was a competition drum majorette in marching band.

How do you best stay connected with your friends?

I best stay connected with others on Facebook mainly. I love Facebook!

Speaking of Facebook, I noticed on your page that you now work as a professional photographer...was this something that you were always interested in?

I do own my own photography company called C. Marie's Photography, I have always really liked photography as long as I can remember. I remember having my very first camera, I got it as a gift right before our family vacation to New York City, and I must have been about 12 years old.

It was a camera that printed four tiny pictures on each 4x6 print, I am sure it is in my old toy box still. I also remember going to Washington, D.C., with my school and using something like 12 or 13 rolls of film on the four-day trip.

By the time I was in high school I got my first digital point and shoot camera as a birthday present. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was wearing a purple sweater and we were eating out at The Olive Garden in Lima. That camera is the camera that sort of started it all.

Tell me how transitioned this obvious love of photography into having your own photography company?
I decided to move to Dayton to attend college. At the mall down the road from my dorm there was the same studio chain I had worked from back home, so naturally I went and applied for a photographer job to have some spending money.

I very quickly became very bored with the studio photographs that were basically the same 20 shots over and over again. Besides at that point I had a nicer camera then the studio and loved being able to work all the different functions and get creative.

In the summer of 2008, I transferred to the Ohio Institute of Photography in Dayton and began working on my own photography more while going to school. I was thrilled for I felt like for the first time in my life I was actually enjoying learning and being in school. Maybe I am just a big nerd but I honestly can say I loved every day of photography school.

I just have this passion for photography and I feel like no matter how much I learn about photography, I just cannot learn enough. As a student I was always practicing taking pictures of friends and family members, and shooting weddings with local photographers.

And now at 23, I can hardly believe it but now I am a full-time professional photographer. It is almost like a dream!

That sounds amazing Courtney! You said that you now live in Dayton, how is that like living in the city?
Well, there is a lot less corn and a lot more people. I would say that I love the diversity of the city and the people in general. I love the culture itself, and history of Dayton is pretty unique, believe it or not. I really love the city and hope to move to New York City someday.

In regards to New York, since graduating in 2006, where have you traveled?
I have been to New York City several times in the past couple of years. I have also traveled to Atlanta and I go to Las Vegas every year for my Professional Photographers Convention WPPI. I wish I had the chance to travel even more!

On a final note, what kind of music to you routinely listens to?

I like to listen to "loud" music, but I generally like to listen to lots of country.