Junior Javin Smith is a staff photographer new to The Mentor, but not to photography, this year.

“[I joined staff] because I really like photography,” Smith said. “I like how you can capture so many cool things in one little photo, and if you put it together right you can brag about how good your photo is.”

Smith has taken photography classes at Manhattan High previously and hopes to continue building his skills this year while covering a broad range of subjects. 

“I’m not sure what [types of photos] I want to take at the moment,” Smith said. “I just hope I get better and also improve on some writing stuff.”

Outside of taking pictures, Smith enjoys spending time in nature hiking and biking as well as playing board and video games.