Through a creative lens, photography has enabled health and physical education teacher Mr. Rene Duffault to connect with himself and his interests on a deeper level.
From being handed a camera at a high school football game to photographing weddings in his free time, Duffault’s work has evolved greatly since his first steps in the world of sports photography.
“There were too many coaches, and I didn’t get a chance to coach, so they asked me if I’d take pictures,” Duffault said. “At first, I was kind of hesitant, because I had no idea what I was doing. But then they gave me a crash course on it, and I was able to figure it out.”
Photography served as a way for Duffault to continue expressing his passion for sports, even when he couldn’t be on the field.
“My grandma told me to find something that I’m interested in outside of sports, so I don’t bother myself about being injured,” Duffault said. “I bought a camera with my grandma, and then I started going to sporting events and taking pictures, and I really enjoyed it.”
Duffault began getting booked for events by friends and family, but found that he valued the skills he developed over the money he earned.
“For a while, I was telling people not to pay me. I just wanted to do it, to do it and then grow into the space,” Duffault said.
After testing out different niches, Duffault found a love for what is now his primary subject: weddings.
“Typically, when you get married, it’s the best day of your life,” Duffault said. “It’s really cool to be a part of that and to help people relive that on a constant basis.”
Duffault finds meaning in the long-lasting human connections that take shape after he captures and shares photos of special wedding memories.
“All the time, I get clients that will send me a picture I took of them at their wedding,” Duffault said. “That’s the coolest part, knowing I got to be a part of that core memory for them.”
Through the perspective of a fellow photographer, senior Matthew Ramirez admires Duffault’s approachability, as it goes hand in hand with his craft.
“There’s a people trait behind being a photographer,” Ramirez said. “Yes, you have to know the technical skills, but it’s also approaching and getting to know people. Because he has that photo hobby, he also has that people skill.”
Duffault prioritizes creating a balance between photography gigs and his busy schedule as a full time teacher.
“I think every weekend last fall, once I was done with school, I would go from being a teacher to a traveling wedding photographer,” Duffault said.
As a now experienced photographer, Duffault discovered growth in breaking the rules for the sake of creativity.
“Realizing that it’s art and all art is different, and that’s how it stands out. Not by being the same, but being a little bit different,” Duffault said.
Practicing photography opened Duffault up to the fact that he didn’t have to just stick to a single identity, that he could be both an athlete and a photographer.
“My whole life I’ve been an athlete, and I had this identity that I was carrying around that I could only be an athlete,” Duffault said. “And I realized, for me, that photography was a bit of an escape and a rebranding of myself.”
As Duffault embraces this freedom, he recognizes the importance of getting out of your comfort zone and trying new things.
“That was the best thing for me, especially at that age where sports was everything to me,” Duffault said.
Duffault emphasizes that many skills can be translated to other parts of life, and that in order to make these connections, it is important to keep looking for interests in unassuming places.
“For kids in high school, especially, you’re not destined to do only one thing. There are so many talents you don’t know you have just yet, because you haven’t even explored it,” Duffault said. “Explore avenues while you’re young and you have the time and the energy to do so, because you never know what you might end up loving.”
