Meet photographer Rylie Fuline: She shares her favorite photo spots in Stark County

Rylie Fuline is the owner & CEO of Rylie Fuline Photography in Canton.

She graduated from Jackson Local Schools. While now living in Canton, she is still involved with the Jackson Township community and often takes photos at sporting events, birthdays, and community gatherings.

Fuline actually graduated college a few weeks before graduating high school.

“I started post-secondary through Jackson at Stark State in 2013. I was in 8th grade when I took my first online college course,” she said. “By the time I was a senior, I had enough credits to graduate with two college degrees — an associate of arts and an associate of applied science. Stark State’s graduation was before Jackson’s so technically, I graduated college before high school!”

She also graduated The Ohio State University majoring in human development. She went on to obtain a master’s degree in education in 2020. She lives with two dogs: Finn and Scarlett.

Fuline loves to photograph everything, “However, I will say that I get the most genuine laughs and smiles when I am photographing my high school senior ambassador team.”

She feels that her artistic side usually comes out after the session when she is in the editing process. “I like to look through different editing options and click different settings until the photo truly completes my vision and is considered my 'style of editing — bright and bold," she said.

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Did you always want to be a photographer?

I did not always want to be a photographer. I wanted to be a teacher from the time I can remember. My family tells me stories of gathering lots of kids together at birthday parties and making them sit in a circle while I would “teach” them how to do things.

However, when I was little, my grandma always had a super nice camera just to take photos of our family and have photos for her albums. Once I was old enough to try it, I never put it down. I was 14 when she let me “borrow” a camera — safe to say she never got it back! By the time I was 16, I had my own clients!

In the spring of my senior year, my dad (who is also in the education field and owns his own business) and I had a long conversation where I decided I still wanted to get my teaching degree and certification and pursue being a teacher but would prioritize photography when I was off in the summertime.

After graduating from OSU, I decided it was time to move home and become the teacher I had always wanted to be. But I had a ton of clientele waiting for me. People I had been photographing since I was 14 wanted me to take their family photos.

I took my first teaching job in 2020 for two years. It became extremely challenging to balance photography and teaching. I had clients almost every night of the week after school and my weekends were always booked solid. I decided to bet on myself and see where photography could take me full time.

What part of your work makes you the happiest?

When photographing people, I see genuine laughs, smiles and love between my clients. That is a feeling that you can’t describe, it gives me a sense of purpose.

That feeling is especially overwhelming when I am honored with the task of photographing events. My most recent event was the St. Baldrick's event in North Canton where I spent the day watching people shave their heads in support of childhood cancer. This summer, I will photographed events for the Hall of Fame Festival, including the Fashion Show I have attended since I was a little girl.

What is a legacy photographer?

A legacy photographer is with you for life. It is someone you can trust to capture all of your memories. I would capture someone’s graduation photos, then they would come back for engagement photos, wedding, maternity photos and yearly family portraits.

Plus, there is a sense of trust that comes with legacy clients. Including this in my business has given me what I needed to “stand out” because I am not just your senior photos photographer, your wedding photographer, etc. I am your photographer.

If music would play every time you entered the room, what would it be?

The music would definitely need to be upbeat and energetic. When I enter a room, you know I came in!

I have a lot of energy, smiles and laughs to give to everyone around me. If there was a certain song, it would be “Happy” by Pharrell Williams. It perfectly depicts how I feel in sessions: Happy!

Where are some of your best places to photograph in Stark County?

I have found a lot of favorite spots, some in the most unlikely of places — a field of flowers behind a parking lot, a patch of flowers I drive by on the way to the grocery store, or even just the side of a building where the light hits just right.

One of my favorite locations is the Canton Garden Center. I have photographed it in all four seasons and because of its unique layout and architecture, there is always something exciting to photograph there.

Another favorite would be the McKinley monument. I really love the clean and crisp background it offers. If you aren’t going for a natural setting, this is the perfect way to get a city feel without driving all the way to Cleveland.

One more of my favorites is Gervasi Vineyard Resort & Spa. Gervasi has a wide range of photo spots, as well as a beautiful park right behind one of their buildings.

Editor's note: Five questions with ... is a Sunday feature that showcases a member of the Stark County community. If you'd like to recommend someone to participate, send an email to newsroom@cantonrep.com.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: 5 questions with photographer Rylie Fuline of Canton