From learning to take risks to being comfortable with uncomfortability, Robinson’s student photographers are a dynamic team of students adapting to lessons in the classroom and on the sidelines. I sat down with a team of student photographers and asked them about their journey, because every photo tells a story, and every photographer has a story to tell.
How did you start your journey as a photographer?
Cooper: My Grandpa takes photos. He takes photos of everything, and I enjoy looking at the photos that other people around Robinson take, so I was like, ‘why not try it out?’ I started taking photos and [my grandpa] gave me his camera.
Jacob: I got started ‘cause I was really into airplanes and I wanted to take photos of those. I talked to my cousin who was a photographer, and that’s how I got started.
Brinley: I started doing photography six years ago. My parents bought me a camera for my 11th birthday. I didn’t necessarily use it a lot until I started yearbook in 7th grade- my teacher had suggested I become a photo editor, and that’s what really sparked my interest.
What’s your favorite thing to photograph?
Cooper: My favorite thing [to photograph] is sports, sports inside and out of school- especially taking pictures of football, basketball, and lacrosse.
Jacob: My favorite thing to photograph is probably lacrosse. I really just think that the way I get creative with lacrosse is fun.
Brinley: I really enjoy portrait photography.
What lessons have you learned through your photography?
Cooper: Definitely time management, cause it’s important to regulate homework, basketball and photography. Other than that, I’ve learned technical skills… and also skills to get more tech-savvy, and everything else that goes with that as well.
Jacob: I’ve learned it’s not just about doing what everybody would want- it’s about what you wanna do, and just getting creative.
Brinley: I’ve learned a lot of lessons, a lot of things that are like… you have to be uncomfortable to be comfortable, and you really have to try to understand something to understand it.
What advice would you give to aspiring student-photographers?
Cooper: I feel like you have to grow by taking risks.
Jacob: Go to the activities office and talk to them about the media team. Just talk to every photographer you see on the field, get their Instagrams, you know, try and make connections.
Brinley: My biggest piece of advice is that if photography’s something you want to get into, there’s so many resources around Robinson and just out in the world that you can use. [In] Yearbook, we provide cameras, journalism provides cameras- I know that the athletics [office] is doing the media pass thing… There’s just so many different ways, even if you can’t afford or have access to a nice, expensive camera, there’s so many things you can have access to.
