St. Clair teen with autism finds creative outlet, satisfaction through photography

Phillip Will enjoys playing games on his computer and photographing things on his family's St. Clair farm. His favorite photo is one he took of a sunrise at the Blue Water Bridge.

Julie Will said learning photography has given her 14-year-old son with autism a growing independence and passion. 

"We don't look at it as a disability at all. He's just different," she said. "You're just you."

Computers and photography came quick to Phillip. He started taking photos as part of a class project using only his cell phone. With art being his favorite school subject,  he enjoyed the project, and has recently moved to a more advanced camera.

Besides the class project Phillip is self-taught, and has developed his skills through practice and by watching YouTube videos. When he first got his new camera, he took to the internet to learn how to use all of its different features and settings.

Phillip said it's rewarding to be able to share his photos and see them get attention on his Facebook page. His mother said he's become more creative and his photography has improved.

On a recent trip to Escanaba, Phillip kept asking his mother to pull over so he could take photos. A drive that would normally take two hours took almost four, she said.

"We must have stopped 50 times," Julie Will said, laughing.

In the coming months, Phillip plans to start doing photography with the school's yearbook program. Eventually, he hopes to do photography full time. 

You can see more of Phillip's work on his Facebook page, Pj's photography.

Contact Brian Wells at (810) 357-8668 or bwells@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @bmwellsphoto.