It was actor-turned-director Ron Howard talking about a project called "Project Imaginat10n." His company, Imagine Entertainment, was working with camera company Canon, soliciting photographs from ordinary people. Those photographs were to be used to inspire filmmakers to shoot short films.

Saxon missed the 2011 deadline, but he found the 2012 deadline and hustled to make that one.

He submitted 10 images and was "ecstatic" to find out that one image, "Lost in Blue," was chosen by actress Eva Longoria and Biz Stone, a co-founder of Twitter.

Saxon, a 2002 graduate of Jordan High School, received his bachelor's degree in art from Columbus State University. He's currently enrolled online for his master's degree in photography from the Academy of Art in San Francisco.

Now 27, he's been pursuing photography professionally for the past eight years.

Saxon mentors Columbus High School students and conducts workshops. He's working right now with Auburn University student Courtney Ruggles.

"Project Imaginat10n" representatives called him in September to let him know that his photograph had been chosen. To his knowledge, he's the only photographer to have two filmmakers choose the same image.

The other filmmakers are actor Jamie Foxx, fashion designer and co-founder of Marchesa Georgina Chapman and musician James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem.

"Lost in Blue" was inspired by a dream Saxon had one night, he said. The photograph was taken in the Chattahoochee River and manipulated by using Photoshop.

"It was semi-underwater," he said with a smile. It was taken in June.

Some day, Saxon said he'd like to become a filmmaker himself, but right now, his dream is to photograph fashion shoots for major magazines.

He might be on his way. He'll have some of his photographs appear in regional magazines like Jezebel and Raine. Saxon has recently been working with Victoria Hardy of "America's Next Top Model."

Monday, Saxon was on the top floor of RiverCenter for the Performing Arts' parking garage. For a change, he was being photographed. He was assisted by Ruggles and Jessica Melton, his fiancee, who acts as his stylist and makeup artist.

"I'm nervous," he said about being photographed.

Read about the Project Imaginat10n at https://www.longliveimagination.com/