Spokane is conventionally painted in a rather besmirched light; to numerous outsiders it is a nest of delinquency, methamphetamines, and pothole ridden roads.

However, to former EWU student Benjamin True, Spokane is a sanguine home of hidden beauty. Even the darkest of alleys can lay refuge to a glimmer of simple grandeur.

True’s goal for the project is as simple as the beauty it captures: to paint the city of Spokane and the surrounding areas in an auspicious light.

“Beautiful Here” is an ongoing project segmented into chapters — each chapter has a specific focus, with chapter one focusing on the flora of Gaiser Conservatory in Manito park.

Out of hundreds of photographs only 35 made the cut and those images managed to capture a sense of the surreal experience that is Manito Park.

According to True, a new chapter to “Beautiful Here” is being added each month or so, with chapter two coming in May.

In an attempt to capture the inclusive ambiance of eastern Washington, True has a few other chapters planned that could possibly cover Bowl and Pitcher park, downtown Spokane and possibly even Cheney. He is planning to shift his focus from simply the flora of the land to a focus on topography and possibly even models.

Focus is a crucial element in True’s photography. His style is simple, yet profound.

He likes to think small — start with a single subject — and shift the focus of his photographs to see what effect it has on the subject. This is a style that is a result of True’s inherent and informal ascertainment of his abilities. Without any traditional education in the field of photography, his talent was permitted to grow naturally: just as his subjects.

True first discovered his love for photography during his junior year in high school. He took a trip to Italy and Greece over the summer of 2010. His father had previously purchased a digital SLR for recreational purposes and True was allowed to take it with him on the trip.

He took pictures of everything and soon enough his heart had replaced the metaphorical film. He began taking pictures of everything he possibly could, from doing senior pictures for his school to capturing love as a wedding photographer.

It wasn’t until last summer that he realized this passion could be something more. During a trip with his family to Manito Park, he noticed everyone taking pictures with their phones and that notion sparked a thought in him: he could capture this beauty more efficiently than a phone’s stock camera could and what’s more, he could capture the beauty of Spokane. A place that is so often painted negatively, perhaps he could paint it a different hue.

Originality is crucial in the world of art; however, True does not focus on seeking originality for the sake of originality. Rather, he seeks the inspiration within himself and allows originality to follow in his form. “Beautiful Here” can be thought of as an open book: an intermittent project.

True said he is hoping to display his photography in an exhibition in the future. Until then, he can be found on Facebook by searching for “Beautiful Here.”