Changing Stereotypes: One Photo at a Time

I moved to Augusta GA almost exactly a year ago. I got a job as a Nuclear Scientist at the Savannah River National Lab in Aiken and had to quickly relocate. Everyone, and I mean everyone told me to stay away from Augusta. “It’s trashy, dangerous, dirty…” you get the idea. I visited Augusta once before I moved there for good, and to be honest…I saw the same thing they did. When I moved, I thought I made a mistake. I was incredibly depressed. I had no friends in the area, my girlfriend (at the time) left me, my job was harder than I expected…and to top it all off, I felt like I had moved to a city with nothing outdoorsy to do.

Let’s back up a bit. In college I got into photography, bought my first DSLR camera, and started taking pictures of mountain views, stream, valleys, etc. I didn’t have an eye for it, really, but it was fun and something to do to take my mind off the stress of school. When my Instagram started to pick up traction, it quickly turned into something more than fun, and I became obsessed with the idea of likes and follows. Social media began to take on a role I didn’t intend at the time, and it honestly became stressful. I started buying followers and likes to try to make myself look more popular than I was…and someone caught me doing it. It was in that moment I realized that Instagram had become more about me, than about the beauty I sought to share, so I permanently deleted my account.

                                                       Now…back to the story.

        It was mid-March, by this time I had lived in Augusta almost 6 months. Most of my money was spent on alcohol, entertainment, and just trying to forget everything that my life had become. I remember asking, almost daily, "How did I get here?" This all changed for me when a girl dragged my drunk ass off the floor, shoved a camera in my hand, and drove me out to a place called “Redcliffe Plantation” and we explored. (Side note: I created an adventure on The Outbound for this exact place, if you are interested in visiting). It was then that I realized, that even after living in Augusta for 6 months…I never once stayed out, or cared enough to watch the sunset. So there, at Redcliffe, I watched my first sunset in Augusta. At that moment, the spark was lit. I opened an Instagram account, @mattvanswol, and started exploring, wandering, and taking photos of Augusta. My goal: to prove everyone wrong. That beauty is everywhere, and you don’t have to travel to faraway lands to find it.

        Since that time, over 6000 Augusta natives have followed my account, another 5000 from the state of Georgia. I’ve received literally hundreds of messages asking me for places to go in Augusta, and over 100 people have messaged me saying my photos inspired them to visit Augusta GA for the first time. Augusta locals have been shocked at the photos I’ve taken, and it’s not because they are that great of photos! It’s because they didn’t know the places I took shots of even existed. The Outbound gave me a platform to create adventures for the people of Augusta, and from the emails, texts, and messages I’ve gotten…the stereotype of “Dis-gusta” has slowly been changing. Today, if you go to any the locations listed on the Outbound in Augusta, you can find people there kayaking, swimming, taking photos, rock climbing, running, hiking, biking…or just watching the sunset. To me…that’s inspiring. Yeah, it’s inspiring to see people like @chrisburkard wandering Switzerland or Iceland, but for those of us that are poor, trying to make it through to next week’s paycheck, and have no money for big travel plans… it can sometimes be depressing. So my charge to you is to change the stereotype of your city. It’s not easy. It takes a lot of work, time, and there are lots of challenges…but it’s worth it.

        I’ll end with this story. A week ago, I was sitting out on the Augusta Canal Headgates, watching the sunset. I left my camera in the car, I just wanted to sit and take in the beauty. A guy walks up to me with his iPhone and asks me if I knew where the Kayak Rental Station was. I looked at his phone, and there, on the screen, was the adventure I had created and posted to The Outbound. I smiled, pointed him in the right direction, and he set off on his adventure, as I sat and enjoyed mine. That’s inspiring. That is why I take pictures. That is why I spend hours writing articles like this one, meticulously planning and posting adventures, and exploring deeper. I’m still not a great photographer, I’m not famous or important, I don’t have a half-million followers, big contracts or expensive shoots, but I love what I do, and I love that you can enjoy it too: #adventureonward.