Jay Minyety never took his photography skills seriously until someone expressed interest in purchasing one of his pictures. That’s when Jay, then an associate in the digital imaging department of Best Buy Store 1028 in Midtown Manhattan, New York, decided to focus on his passion.
Today, Jay is a retail supervisor at Store 821 in Raleigh, North Carolina. As the “culture captain” in the store, he uses his camera to foster a fun and inclusive environment for his team.
“The feeling of capturing a moment with people, I feel satisfied knowing that I’m able to tell a story through pictures,” he said.
Jay’s general manager, Vinnie Sharpe, and other district leaders have noticed Jay’s interest and applaud him for contributing so much to the store’s culture.
“I had a conversation with Jay about what gives him energy outside of work. Then we discussed how can we bring that passion for photography to work,” Vinnie said.
Jay has his camera with him at work every day, keeping it handy for fun events, award ceremonies and other fun moments. He then culls through the pictures, edits the files and shares them with colleagues using QR codes.
“I don’t want to miss a beat,” Jay said.
Worth a thousand words
With each shot, Jay’s learned more about cameras and the art behind the lens. He’s read up, taken online courses that expand on his expertise, and taught himself and his peers how to operate a variety of different DSLR cameras. (Jay’s current camera is a 70×200 millimeter Nikon model with a 2.8-inch lens.)
Over the years, as Jay snapped up every opportunity, he had to capture things, he discovered another passion: using his photos to raise awareness about social issues and the fight against breast cancer.
Jay’s pictures have been used on the wall of fame inside the store. Examples can be found on LinkedIn, his Instagram account (@whiteowlphotos) and his personal website. In the future, Jay plans to lend his photography talents in the community.
“My boss has been my biggest cheerleader. It excites me to come to work,” he said.