A 14-Year-Old Kid with Autism Inspires People with Photography
Photography has always been about the content and not the device in use. The creativity in the shots makes people feel awe when looking at the picture. Anthony Schmidt has an incredible talent for capturing subjects most creatively. He is a 14-year-old kid with autism who uses an iPhone to showcase his photography skills. Anthony’s main subject is his miniature car collection. When you see his works, you won’t believe it was photographed with only an iPhone camera.
The teenager was recognized by Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, who tweeted about Anthony and praised him for using an iPhone most outstandingly. The CEO posted the tweet in honor of World Autism Awareness Day and Autism Acceptance Month. Who wouldn’t be amazed by Anthony’s talent? He deserves to be recognized for his skills and inspiring people on the internet.
“I’m making money off like a hobby that I like to do. It’s like the American dream to make money off something that you like to do,” Jonathan shared in an interview with King 5.
According to Anthony’s mother, Ramona, her son started his interest in car models when he was just three years old. At first, he was using his mother’s phone to take photos of his cars — at the age of six, he began using his iPhone.
“For the longest time, I just had them on my camera roll, and I thought they were the greatest thing ever, but I never showed it to anyone. Until around about age nine, I was just like totally getting blown away every time he took photos, so I posted it to a local neighborhood Facebook group, and that’s just kind of when it went viral.” Ramona said. “And everyone was like, ‘Oh, this is amazing; you should make a calendar; you should make a book.’”
Eventually, Anthony followed the advice and went to sell his works. He has a business and a website where people can purchase a calendar, postcards, shirts, and more. He has a business that he loves at a very young age. Not only that, but Anthony and his cars are TikTok famous. His TikTok account anthonyschmidtphotos has already gained over five hundred forty thousand followers and six million likes. You can see all his marvelous works on TikTok — he also posts behind-the-scenes content about his projects.
Anthony is a very talented kid, and his mother shared that it was because of his autism. In an interview with People Magazine, she said that “It’s because of his autism that he’s able to do this. His visual perception is off the charts whenever it’s tested. People with autism are visual thinkers and very detailed people. It’s an advantage for him,” she continues. “And the photography is such a good boost for his self-esteem.”
If you haven’t seen Anthony’s works, you may want to check it out on his website. You can also support him through Patreon. Watch the interview below from King 5 to see Anthony’s journey as a kid from the autism spectrum with artistic abilities.
