HUDSONVILLE, Mich. (WOOD) Hudsonville High School senior Brendan Hinojosa has been taking photos since he was 15 years old.

Now, Hinojosa is juggling the demands of graduating high school with managing a growing business. He shoots events three or four days a week and spends two or three hours editing every day after school.

And he does it all in memory of his dad, a photographer and videographer who died when he was 10 years old.

One day, Hinojosa picked up one of his dad’s cameras and went out to shoot a football game. 

“I was like, man, this is kind of cool. I saw money coming in and followers and (it felt) like, man, I could really do something like this. That’s how it really started,” Hinojosa said.

Now, photography is a way to stay close to his dad. Even the name of his brand, Solarized Shots, is in memory of him.

“My dad’s photography name was Solarized Images, so that’s where I found my name,” Hinojosa said. “Solarized Images, Solarized Shots that’s what I’m going to go with.”

For Hinojosa, photography is more than just a hobby.

“I’ve worked for Michigan State basketball. I’ve worked for the NBA. I worked the winter showcase in Florida. I did All-Star weekend in San Francisco,” Hinojosa said.

Hudsonville High School counselor Joe Kessell has known Hinojosa since his freshman year.

“It’s awesome watching this passion of his ignite into something that’s business. That’s a lifelong career goal. It’s pretty great to see,” Kessell said.

As he reaches greater career heights, Hinojosa’s family keeps him grounded.

“I want to take care of my mom,” Hinojosa said. “I feel like this is the way I can do that: Building my business; knowing that my dad’s by my side while I’m doing this; carrying on his passion. That gives me a lot of motivation to keep going and strive for greatness.”