Working for The Red Ledger, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing high school life and human interaction through the lens of my camera. When I started photography as a freshman, I was simply hoping to carve out my niche; I was hesitant to try something new and only went because my friend and mentor Olivia asked me to. I never thought it would be something I stuck with, and never expected how much I would come to love it.
My work took on a deeper meaning as I photographed the semi-final football game that ended my older brother’s senior season. As I saw coaches, parents, and players in tears, I realized I was capturing something deeper than the game, and the importance of my role hit me. As a photographer, my job is to capture not just the milestones, but the emotions behind them. I reflected on the weight of the work I had done, and realized I wanted to do more with it. Slowly, photography became the root of my passion, my service projects, and my job.
Through my lens, I see peoples’ triumphs and heartbreaks. I take photos of touchdowns and fumbles, wins and losses, couples who get married, and couples who break up the next week. I capture smiles and tears, seeing people at their best and worst. I see the impact my work has on my community in school newsletters, Instagram Posts, and Christmas cards, but it has also helped me be more observant of people and their emotions.
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but mine have helped me understand a bigger story. I capture once-in-a-lifetime, beautiful, human moments, and photography has helped me to better see people in their true colors, for which I am forever grateful.
Leaving The Red Ledger and Lovejoy in general has been hard for me. I have been given so many incredible opportunities through this school and the newspaper, and the Journalism program has taught me to think critically and evaluate the world around me through an unbiased, artistic lens.
Thank you to Coach Parkman for always believing in me, Olivia for mentoring me, Caroline and Nick for helping me grow, everyone who let me capture their milestones, and everyone in The Red Ledger for all the memories and support. As I look ahead to my next chapter, and moving 1500 miles away from home, I will carry this program in my heart, and will forever treasure my time here.
