Lucy Snyder

Camera: Nikon D3500

Editing Software: Lightroom

Lucy Snyder is a junior at Delta. She publishes her photography on her Instagram account, @picture_time_with_lucy. Snyder is available to take headshots, senior photos, and portraits. 

“I’ve always loved nature, and I’ve always loved being creative,” Snyder said. “So it only makes sense that photography is a hobby of mine. One of my favorite things about photography is that it allows me to take creative liberties, and I can carry out a vision that I’m really proud of. It’s a great way to get the creative juices flowing and think outside the box. “

Caleb Craig

Camera: Nikon D7500

Editing Software: Lightroom

Caleb Craig is a senior at State High and a sports photographer for the Lions’ Digest. He publishes his photography on his Instagram account, @cablesphotos. 

Craig’s journey with photography began right here, encouraged and inspired by Ms. Corza, a Journalism teacher at State High.

“Well, let’s start with the fact that I am strange. I didn’t start photography until 3 years ago,” Craig said. “In fact, I had 0 intentions to ever do photography- I went to a football game with a camera to take videos of the marching band. I had limited experience with video and was encouraged by Corza to go try to get better. With a camera and my press pass I realized the field was where it was at. I started that game and never looked back. After that game, I taught myself anything and everything I know about photography.

I think what’s odd for me is other than Jacob Will, who works with me for almost everything, there are no photographers that do what we do consistently. Often I find myself looking at Nico Cárdenes-Miller, Adrita Talukder, and Max Duverneuil’s photography, wondering why mine looks so different (and in my eyes worse). But we all learn differently and use different subject matter to show what we do; that is the real art of photography to me. 

Also strange for me being a sports photographer is often having to write articles and get photos out in a timely manner, so my process doesn’t look like an art photographer’s process. I often get home from a game around 11 or later for away games. Editors will want an article and photo by 1 am to have it edited to go out before 6 am. This often means I am writing articles in the car if I am not driving or pulling photos. Usually, I have no time to edit a photo, but this is fine because I shoot only when I feel necessary, normally making it through a football game with 1,300 photos and a basketball game with 1,000 or 800 for a track meet. There will be about 10-15 that are article usable (as to help tell the story) and the rest can be used for personal use.”

Georgia Weaver

Camera: Canon Powershot SD450 and Nikon D90

Editing Software: Lightroom

Georgia Weaver is a junior at State High. She uses her Instagram account, @fate.myfriend, as a visual diary to collect moments in her life. 

“‘Live in the moment’ they say, and to some extent I agree, but sometimes those moments, memories, become a victim to time, and they fade,” Weaver said. “Photography allows me to freeze time, sorta. My hope is to someday, years from now, look through the hundreds of moments captured and maybe cry. Kidding, but seriously, seeing how much has changed will certainly be disorienting. It’s pretty cool though, the comfort photography brings me. Sitting down after a good day, uploading photos, and scrolling through them feels like a warm hug. Seeing a friend light up when looking at my photos, then proceeding to go on a ‘remember when-’ tangent is pure ecstasy. I’ve always racked my brain for a sense of purpose, and while I would not go as far as to say photography fulfills it, knowing that my photos can serve meaning in the lives of those around me is something like magic. The account fate.myfriend, as of now, is an informal virtual scrapbook, a lens into my life.”

Max Duverneuil

Camera: Canon-80D

Editing Software: Adobe’s Photoshop Camera Raw Suite and Lightroom 

Max is a junior at State High. He publishes his photography on his personal Instagram account, @max._301.  He is also developing two brands, @maxdcreative on Instagram or  maxdcreative.com (official photography and creative services brand) as well as a clothing brand known as “TheEndHasNoLine,” @theendhasnoline. For those who are interested in senior portraits, you can fill out the google form in his bio or here to make a request. 

“Mainly I’ve posted the photos I take on my personal Instagram account where posts range from portraits to international landscapes. A few of my favorite photos that I’ve taken include a picture I took in Pythagoreio, Greece where I delivered 400 lbs of medical supplies and school supplies to refugee camps and refugee support centers in 2019. I went as a student volunteer in my freshman year a couple of weeks before the end of the year and I am looking forward to traveling again soon to participate in similar refugee relief programs,” Duverneuil said. 

“I really started getting into photography around late 2018 as an experiment to create real digital art that portrays different stories. I bought my own camera around this time after saving from my first part-time job. I bought a used Canon T5i on eBay or Amazon for $200. From there, I got really excited [about] photography and in filmmaking. Lately, I’ve been experimenting with various ways to capture creative photos that seem a bit abstract and have taken photos for various school activities such as the Marching Band and our football team. As I move towards senior year I would like to offer senior portraits to the class of 2022!”

Alex Antoniono

Camera: Nikon 1 J5

Editing Software: Lightroom and PicsArt

Alex Antoniono is a sophomore at State High. She publishes her photography on her Instagram account, @aantoniono__photo. 

“I’ve always been a very creative person, and for a long time, photography was another creative outlet I was very interested in. Before I got my phone and a camera, I would always take pictures and mess around on my parents’ phones. Over quarantine, I finally decided to do more with that interest, so I set up an account on Instagram to share my work, as well as contacted several of my friends who were happy to model for me! I went out and planned photoshoots with friends, and with the help of my platform I came up with an endless list of things I wanted to accomplish and ideas that I wanted to bring to life,”Antoniono said.

“I have found a lot of inspiration around me and from others. At one point I created a playlist where I found these songs and played them, focusing on the vibe and what came to mind as I listened to them for the first time. That was one place I found unexpected inspiration, along with many people I know and became friends with. I have also followed along with people my age online, and some from school as they shared their photography. I really admire some of the things I’ve seen and that also inspired some of the work I’ve done.”

Alexa Adams

Camera: Nikon D3100

Editing Software: Lightroom

Alexa Adams is a junior at State High. She publishes her photography on her Instagram account, @alexaadamsphoto. 

“My journey with photography started back in September of 2020. With school just starting back up, something finally hit me, and I realized how different so many people were since the last time I saw them back in March. That’s when I decided to take on the challenge of learning how to work a camera,” Adams said. “This was an opportunity for me to capture how my friends and family grew through these crazy times, and I didn’t want to miss it. I truly enjoyed seeing, capturing, and helping create happy, care-free moments during the craziness of this year!”

Adrita Talukder

Camera: Nikon D810

Editing Software: Adobe Photoshop 

Adrita Talukder is a junior at State High. They post their photography on their Instagram account, @adritasphotos. You can also view Talukder’s photos and contact them about portraits on their website, adritatalukderphotography.com. 

“I started taking photos the summer of my freshman year. I got my first smartphone, and I went crazy with trying to capture all the little moments I spent with my friends. What I did then could not be considered photography, however, it was during that summer that I was introduced to the joy of taking photos,” Talukder said. 

“I took a decent number of photos my freshman year, but I was essentially on hiatus until this past winter, as struggles with my mental health, constant self-doubt of my own work, and the pandemic prevented me from taking photos. When I ventured back into the world of photography, I found myself taking photos quite different than the ones I used to take. I was starting to take the kinds of photos I actually wanted to. I’m now starting to take a lot of inspiration from my identity. I’ve always been afraid to do so, and I’ll admit, I still am, but I’m working towards communicating more of my personal story through my work. 

When it comes to what I want to showcase through my work, in the future, I have multiple series planned which feature my childhood—the good, bad, and the ugly—my struggles with depression (and existential angsty teen bullshit), and the LGBTQ+ experience. Also, while I do have these more formal series planned out, I do carry around this little digital camera with me—an idea I got from my friend Georgia—and capture moments with those who I love. 

Recently, I’ve found myself drawing a lot of inspiration from both cinema and film photography. I try to study film stills in order to get a better sense of composition, lighting, and how the director tries to tell a story through subtle details, and I just love looking at film photos, as they evoke a certain sense of nostalgia for memories that aren’t even mine.”