Meet Our Photographers

Photo Academy Photographers

The AbleVoices Photo Academy is a September–May program. In Photo Academy, photographers build their photography and workplace skills through real-world experiences.

Photographers have opportunities to assist professional photographers, photograph community events, work with local organizations, sell their work, build a portfolio, and develop skills that can be used in the workplace and everyday life. Our Photo Academy photographers are building their photography skills, exploring their creative interests, and gaining real-world experience in their communities. Photo Academy is a next-level add on to our Photography Club program! All Photo Academy photographers also participate in AbleVoices Photography Club.

Get to know the photographers behind the photos! Each photographer has their own perspective, favorite subjects, and creative style. Explore their bios and a few of their favorite photographs below.

Brock Bordeau

Brock Bordeau joined AbleVoices shortly after learning about our virtual Photography for Self-Expression course at a disability resource fair. He uses photography to share his love for the outdoors.

One of Brock’s favorite memories is earning ribbons for his nature photography at the Williamson County Fair. His photos highlight the beauty of nature, from landscapes to small details.

When he’s not taking photos, Brock enjoys fishing, hiking, mountain biking, hunting, and kayaking, which inspire his photography.

View Brock’s photos in our online Card and Print Store.

A beautiful example of Brock’s love of nature photography!

Another one of Brock’s nature photos — a magnolia flower.

Alex Balkon

Alex Balkon got involved with AbleVoices as a Transition 2 student at Ravenwood High School during the Photography for Self-Expression course. Among Alex’s favorite AbleVoices memories with the Photography Club are visiting the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga and photographing the hummingbirds and exploring Ruskin Cave in Dickson, TN.

Alex works at a local pet store and volunteers at an animal shelter. And you guessed it… he especially loves photographing dogs! This enthusiasm for animals also extends to creating photos and videos of his toy animals, especially wolves and dogs, which Alex shares on his personal YouTube channel.

View Alex’s photos in our online Card and Print Store.

Alex’s photo of Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, TN Flags is one of AbleVoices’ top sellers!

Alex took this photo at the City of Brentwood Granny White Park Inclusive Playground Grand Opening.

Alyssa Ray

Alyssa Ray joined the AbleVoices Photography Club after participating in the Photography for Self-Expression course during the Franklin High School Transition 2 program. Her favorite experiences include meeting Tennessee’s First Lady, Maria Lee, during a special invitation for AbleVoices photographers to have lunch and photograph the beautiful gardens at the Tennessee Residence. She also enjoyed photographing the Nashville Parthenon, most notably the 40 foot, gilded statue of Athena! Alyssa especially enjoys photographing animals, flowers, and signs.

Alyssa’s photos have been featured on the cover of Breaking Ground magazine, at BNA, and internationally in Egypt, as well as at The Parthenon and The Frist Museum. Beyond photography, Alyssa enjoys ice skating, musical theater, and movies.

View Alyssa’s photos in our online Card and Print Store.

Heart of Gold is Alyssa’s signature photo, taken at Radnor Lake. This image won a 3rd place ribbon at the Williamson County Fair!

Alyssa’s photo of the Nashville Parthenon columns won a 1st place ribbon at the fair in Architecture!

Bryant Welch

Bryant joined AbleVoices through the Transition 2 class at Franklin High School and helped inspire the creation of the Photography Club. He loves photographing antique cars, trucks, nature, historical monuments, and trains.

Bryant always carries his camera to capture stories from his travels and favorite people, places and things. Using his excellent photography sales skills at local markets and festivals and participating in activities like PHun Friday! brings him great joy.

View Bryant’s photos in our online Card and Print Store.

Tennessee Stars is an AbleVoices “hot seller” at local markets.

Bryant loves old trucks and cars, and he photographed this driver out for a Sunday drive on the Natchez Trace.

Charlie Burrows

Charlie joined AbleVoices in 2022 after moving to Tennessee. He was introduced to the organization by Bryant and his family and they have been friends ever since!

One of Charlie's favorite experiences with AbleVoices is exploring underwater photography at the rec center. He also enjoys photographing vehicles, particularly classic cars. Through AbleVoices, Charlie has learned valuable photography techniques, such as the importance of moving his body closer to a subject rather than relying solely on zoom. And it makes his photos very interesting as well!

View Charlie’s photos in our online Card and Print Store.

During a Photography Club outing to
Downtown Columbia, TN, Charlie
photographed a barber in shop on the square.

Charlie spotted these two crows on an outing with Birdability and made a beautiful silhouette!

Cian Bonnett

Cian signed up for the virtual Photography for Self-Expression course after meeting AbleVoices photographers at a local market and joined the Photography Club soon after.

Cian’s favorite experiences with AbleVoices are outings where animals are involved, especially outings to the Nashville Zoo. Cian is a snake expert and has been known to prank our director, Jen Vogus, by leaving a fake snake on the AbleVoices bus. So you can see, he has a great sense of humor too!

Cian is also a huge Titan’s fan.

View Cian’s photos in our online Card and Print Store.

Cian photographed this old truck on a visit to Downtown Columbia, TN.

Cian captured “Bee on Zinnia” at South 40 Farm during a Photo Club outing.

Eric Wilson

Eric has been part of the AbleVoices Photography Club since its inception in 2019. Eric loves seeing the world through his camera lens. He positions his body to create unique angles and perspectives in his images for example, lying on the ground or climbing structures. A favorite shot was taken under a horse, capturing its face from below—a memorable gift for a friend. For Eric, photography tells a story, and he takes pride in sharing his view of the world.

Eric is also a US Special Olympics multi-awarded medalist in several sports including powerlifting and golf.

View Eric’s photos in our online Card and Print Store.

Eric made this picture by placing his camera in a whole of a stone wall at Centennial Park in Nashville

Eric’s photo, Midway Swings, won first place at the Williamson County Fair.

Hannah Schrupp

Hannah first discovered her love of photography in the AbleVoices Photography for Self-Expression class at Page High School. One of her favorite moments with AbleVoices was a photography club outing to the Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama- the first time the club went out-of-state!

She especially enjoys photographing flowers, focusing on their vibrant colors and delicate details. Hannah was excited to showcase her work at the Frist Art Museum during the collaborative exhibit “The Power of Resilience” with other AbleVoices photographers.

When she’s not behind the camera, Hannah loves spending time on Tim's Ford Lake, enjoying water sports and the natural beauty around her.

View Hannah’s photos in our online Card and Print Store.

Hannah discovered this sign on a Club outing exploring the quaint back streets of her hometown.

This creative selfie was made at one of Hannah’s favorite spots on Tim’s Ford Lake.

Steven Schrupp

Steven Scrupp discovered his love of photography while participating in the Virtual Photography for Self Expression Class. One of his favorite things to photograph is the Nashville Predators, combining his passion for photography with his love of hockey.

Steven especially enjoys the friendships and connections he has made through AbleVoices. His favorite AbleVoices outing is the annual cookout at Bryant’s House, where he loves spending time with friends and making memories together.

When he’s not taking photos or enjoying AbleVoices activities, Steven loves tubing on Tims Ford Lake and cheering on the Nashville Predators at hockey games. For Steven, life is all about having fun, being with friends, and capturing the moments he enjoys most.

Steven is originally from Chicago and moved to Tennessee in the 4th grade. He is a big Minnesota Vikings fan, a love of football he shares with his dad.

Steven loves taking photographs of his dog, Otto.

Here’s another portrait shot of Steven’s pup, Otto.

Micah Elliott

Micah started out with AbleVoices taking a virtual section of Photography for Self-Expression. His mom learned about AbleVoices through Tennessee Disability Pathfinder, a comprehensive disability resource website!

Micah is an avid bird photographer and especially enjoys photographing at local parks parks and the Nashville zoo where he is a member, of course!,

Micah also enjoys playing a variety of board games and even participated in local competitions.

View Micah’s photos in our online Card and Print Store.

Micah photographed this Dark-Eyed Junco in his backyard.

This landscape at Shelby Bottoms Park in Nashville was taken by Micah during a Photography Club outing.

Nicholas Coakley

Nicholas first participated in the virtual Photography for Self-Expression course in 2022 and joined the Photography Club soon after. Some of Nicholas’s favorite moments with AbleVoices include the summer outings, especially exploring the charm of Leiper’s Fork.

He is passionate about photographing animals, landscapes, and still life. He is an excellent student of photography and even does film photography and has developed his own negatives! With his love of learning all things photography, he is now employed by AbleVoices as our Studio Assistant. He does a range of tasks from iMac IT to printing, matting and framing prints for sale on our website and at Community Partner locations.

View Nicholas’s photos in our online Card and Print Store.

This photograph captures one of Nicholas’ favorite subjects… his cows named Betty, Marigold, and Franklin (The Trio).

In this image, Nicholas captured the sights and sounds of Downtown Gatlinburg.

Sami Zinni

Sami has been part of AbleVoices for several years, thanks to encouragement from Jen Vogus, who was Sami's tutor during a photography class at Nashville State Community College.

Some of Sami's most memorable experiences include visiting Ruskin Cave to photograph hummingbirds, exploring the owl sanctuary, and being featured on Tennessee Wild Side.

Sami is passionate about photographing nature, animals, abstracts, portraits, and landscapes. Favorite subjects include Sami's dogs, Bingo, Gibbs, and Izzy. Sami’s work often incorporates compositing using Photoshop and has earned several ribbons at the Williamson County Fair.

View Sami’s photos in our online Card and Print Store.

Sami loves capturing the beauty in everything.

Samis dog Bingo.

Wilson Brim

Will joined AbleVoices during his sophomore year at the Vanderbilt Next Steps Post-Secondary program after his photography internship on campus ended due to the 2020 pandemic. Encouraged by his parents, he used AbleVoices to keep exploring his love for photography, which inspired him to pursue it as a career.

Will’s favorite memories include outings to Chattanooga, lunch with Tennessee’s First Lady, visiting historic sites, and exploring underwater photography. He enjoys the creative opportunities and fun activities AbleVoices offers.

Will focuses on abstract, cityscapes, night scenes, landscapes, historic sites, and portraits, combining his passion for art with his dream of a photography career.

View Will’s photos in our online Card and Print Store.

Wilson’s landscape shot of peabody college at Vanderbilt.

Colorado sand dunes photographed by Wilson while on vacation.

Photography Club Photographers

AbleVoices Photography Club is a year-long program where photographers build their photography skills, make friends, explore the community, and have fun together. Through photography lessons, creative activities, outings, and special events, photographers have opportunities to learn, create, and share their work.

Meet the faces behind the cameras who make Photography Club so much PHun!