This year has gone by faster than I expected. Near the end of the school year, I landed a job within my school’s theatre department to take pictures for performances. I was very busy between this, managing Winona state’s Her-Campus social media, my job in the Winonan, and the last dance show I had the opportunity to choreograph for. Finals came, and in one of my classes I created a photography experiment with flash.

On Thursday afternoon, I offered a free model call on my Instagram and Snapchat for the project. This was offered for anyone in Winona, and was open to what the client would want, whether it was a couple shoot, portraits, or buddy. Soon-to-be senior Zach Vix was the first to message me and ask about the shoot offer. We set a time later that afternoon to meet and take pictures on campus. Jesse Vonderharr also joined us, and the two were given a free buddy shoot. I took some portraits of the two individually and multiple shots together. A friend of mine, who specializes in videography, Francisco Angel, also joined our shoot and took a video of me in my natural habitat.

The point of the experiment I was making for class was the difference between automatic mode and manual mode- how each could end with different results. I surprised myself by finding certain spots where I liked the use of flash, or found it suited for the image. I don’t usually like using flash because it washes out the skin of models. I’ve always loved contrasting tones, so a natural shooting light is what I’ve stuck to.

Now that I am back home for the summer, in the Twin Cities, I’ve been able to take a step back and go through my last works since college. I am working on updating my website, and booking for senior sessions! I have special sales on family shoots and engagements! I might offer special deals on my Instagram or Facebook, so make sure to follow my accounts! Here are my favorites from Zach’s and Jesse’s shoot!