Editor-in-chief, photographer, writer
Photojournalism
The first time I ever set out with the idea of capturing a story was for the 2019 Climate Strike. I walked out of school with my small mirrorless camera and marched downtown, where the strike was taking place. It was nerve-wracking, photographing people in action, people I didn't know. Looking at those photos now is so strange, because they look so different to my photos now. Scroll down to see a gallery of my proudest images, as well as the photos I've won awards for.
"Through The Window"
Michigan Interscholastic Press Association: Story Package, 1st place (2021).
The gallery above displays all of the photos I took for "Through The Window," a story package for our 3rd Edition themed "Adaptation." The stories were meant to capture how individuals changed during the pandemic quarantine period. All of the photos were evocative of the feelings written about in the articles themselves. I also wrote the article in this story package about Mia Wood.
"Athlete Covid Testing"
April 6, 2021: The photos above are from an Instagram post I put together on the requirements for athlete covid testing for the spring 2021 season. I captured the weekly Wednesday testing my tennis team participated in, trying to depict the clinical nature that sports had been forced to take on. I also wanted to capture the physical distance between players, which felt odd as they aren't centered in the frame--but it's fitting, as it made viewers feel that uncomfortable space between close friends.
"Joslyn Hunscher-Young"
Feb. 15, 2022: This photo was taken for Edition 3 of our magazine, and also went up on our Instagram. History teacher Joslyn Hunscher-Young is teaching a new course, African-American Studies, which focuses specifically on the history of Community High as a segregated black elementary school. The photo was meant to capture the seriousness of the piece, and I used harsher backlighting to make Joslyn and her shadow stand out.
"A Return to School Brings New Approaches to Learning"
Sept. 15, 2021: This photo of Community High math teacher Maneesha Mankad was taken at the Opening Day Ceremony. I captured Maneesha's enthusiasm about being back in person, as she was one of the few people standing around her. The photo was used for an article about Maneesha's new grading style for the 2021-2022 academic year.
"Scenes From Opening Day"
Sept. 20, 2021: I took this photo at our Opening Day Ceremony on the first day of school. The student in the photo is holding up a whiteboard with the name of his Forum leader; students are all broken up into Forums, which are treated as families. Students stay in the same Forum for their four years, and they are the first place we go on the first day of school. Although we were in a different setting for our ceremony, we still gathered as a Forum. I wanted to capture this senior holding up his Forum sign with pride, serving as a beacon for his fellow Forumettes.
"Do You Really Shop There?"
April 21, 2021: I took this photo of Helen Dean for a feature article I wrote about her. The piece was about Helen's experience with thrifting, and how it is a necessity for her. The story is melancholy, but picks up towards the end with why Helen loves thrift stores. I wanted to capture a happier, airier portrait of Helen to accompany the piece to end on a more hopeful note.
"Sweetwaters Owner"
Feb. 9, 2022: I took this photo for a post that went up on The Communicator Instagram. The post focused on Chris Hutton, owner of Sweetwaters Coffee and Tea across the street from Community High. The school has an open campus, and many students get cofffee from Sweetwaters during the day. However, there have been recent behavioral issues from students that have garnered warnings of a potential closed campus. The post expresses Chris' sentiments of hope that the campus remains open as he loves Community High students. I wanted the photo to remind students that all of the local businesses around the school are owned by kind people who value our patronage. There is a human behind the storefront some students disrespect, and I wanted to reflect the kind words Chris shared for the post.
Photojournalism Gallery
