My Why

Everyone has a purpose behind why they do something, for me it's how I was raised and what lead me to my interests and talents. The following essay further describes how I fell in love with photography, what I want to do with my passion, and shares a little bit more about who I am!

I have always been drawn to cameras, the idea that one handheld machine can capture a scene in brilliant detail for others to see amazes me. Some images leave you with questions about where the photo was taken and why, while others have stories to display the story of the image. A few years ago my family bought a Canon to further fulfill my love for photography. That summer I spent a lot of my time learning how to shoot and edit my own work. Since then, I have taken photography classes and haven't stopped my practice. At the end of my high school career I aim to finish my portfolio which may allow me to get scholarships to attend my dream school, the Kansas City Art Institute.

Everyone has heard the phrase, “one photo can speak more than a thousand words.” This inspires me to make my photos reflect on my passions, to do this, I ask myself why am I taking the shot and what story am I trying to tell? I want my audience to feel something through my work. Last year I did a series called “behind the shot” and I asked my models to share an important part of themselves and their life. One of the shoots in this series was about insecurities and wearing a “mask” whether that was on social media or with people they loved the most, they buried their hurt so they could allow others to feel love and joy. To portray this I bought a white mask from a halloween store and the two of us worked together to put hurtful words that we tend to think of ourselves. Ugly, unworthy, broken, needy, paranoid. These are a few examples of what we wrote to be able to tell this story. At the end of her testimony, she shares that “...she has days where she struggles to love herself, yet it is a battle always worth fighting.” These words impacted me as a photographer and I think at that moment, I began to understand why I love taking photos of others because I get to portray their true beauty and I can use the power of words to tell the story of life’s obstacles in hopes that someone who is struggling may see them and have the desire to persevere through another day.

In the near future, I hope to move to Missouri near my family and attend the Kansas City Art Institute. I knew I loved the school because it held all the knowledge I desired to know about photography and even journalism but when I toured it last year I fell in love with the people, location, and displays showing the student’s work. Colored pencil shavings were on the stairs, drawings made from chalk lined the paved walkways and rooms showing short films got me excited for what may come. I knew then at that moment that this is where I wanted to attend school and pursue the arts. With my uncle being a professional photographer, my mother being a art teacher for students, and my dad being a lover of many different types of music I was bound to love something regarding the art department. I think these things had an impact on me as a young girl because I always saw things a bit differently, I noticed the minuscule details in places we visited, I could memorize every lyric and beat in a song after a few listens and could write compelling stories about human nature.

This is to all the people who feel as though they aren't enough. You are so loved and you can do anything you put your mind to.