PHOTOGRAPHY
"A picture is a secret about a secret, the more it tells you the less you know." - Diane Arbus
June Photographer of the Month - Amritha Gunasekharan
BY SOPHIE O'REILLY
JUNE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THEM MONTH, is Grade 11 student, Amritha Gunasekharan. Here is her interview:
SO: When did you first get into photography, and why?
AG: I’ve always enjoyed taking pictures, but I think I only really got into it in high school. I took tech and I think I just really enjoyed the photography unit, as well as how all of my pictures were turning out. It was nice to look at something I captured and I wanted to do it more. It also helped seeing how much the people around me could do with their images. Throughout the past couple of years as I’ve been taking pictures for myself and friends I’ve grown to really enjoy it.
SO: What do you enjoy photographing the most and what do you enjoy about photography in general?
AG: I feel like I’m more of a random photographer, if that makes any sense. If I see something that looks cool or appealing, I’ll snap a picture and just see what I can do with it. I really like taking pictures of sunsets because there’s just so much beauty and variety in it, but I mostly take pictures of anything that looks cool to me. What I like most about photography in general is the meaning. As cheesy as this might sound, a picture could just be a picture to one person but have meaning to another. It captures a moment in time and might just have a story behind it. I really enjoy looking at photos from photographers who put out stories because it lets you have an insight into what they were feeling when they captured the image.
SO: Is photography important to you, and why?
AG: I’d say it’s important to me. Like I said before, there can be meaning behind it. I always try to get a lot of photos during adventures and really good days because I know I can look back at it one day and just get a little reminder of everything I’ve done.
SO: Any other comments about your photos?
AG: I think my photos can seem kind of random but I feel that it’s probably because I try to edit based on the individual photo rather than past ones. This also leads to the appearance of my photos changing over time, depending on what I find appealing, if that makes any sense. That kind of also helps to reveal how I’m changing as a person over time, to me at least!
May Photographer of the month- SOphia Crysler The Tulip Festival 2018
This is not a drill, I repeat, this is not a drill. Spring is here! Or… is it summer? Honestly, who really knows anymore. As long as the snow is gone and the sun sticks around I’m okay with this crazy Ottawa weather. One of the best parts of May in the capital is the Tulip Festival and this month we have photographer Sophia Crysler’s photos of the flowers to share with you. Sophia said that even though there were lots of people out enjoying the festival, everyone was “very respectful of one anothers space, it was a really nice place to be”. I hope you got the chance to check out the tulips yourself, but if you didn’t, enjoy them here! Thank you Sophia! - By Bella Crysler
Europe trip march 2018
by tyler runia
Earlier this month, 27 students and 3 teachers embarked on the field trip of a lifetime. Students from grades 10 - 12 travelled Europe for 10 days, visiting various historical sites and landmarks such as Vimy Ridge and the Eiffel Tower on their way. Beginning in Amsterdam, they moved by bus through Belgium and France before ending in Paris. Tyler Runia, previously featured as October’s photographer of the month, shared his stunning photos from the trip with us for this months photography feature. By: Bella Crysler
FEB PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE MONTH -Rayhan Moidu
by bella crysler
FEB PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE MONTH, is Grade 11 student, Rayhan Moidu. Thanks to social media platforms such as Instagram and VSCO, the world of photography has become more accessible to teens around the world. Smart phones have made it much less daunting to give the art a try. Rayhan is a prime example of how Instagram can be used for so much more than posting selfies, (which could be considered an art in itself). Here are some of Rayhan’s thoughts on photography and Instagram:
Q) Does your instagram have a theme?
Rayhan: “Themes are something I try to stay away from as I think they are very limiting towards what people post. Perhaps they have a really nice picture but vote against publicizing it because it doesn’t conform to their “theme”. I also thinking an array of moods and colours within ones theme portray more about their personality, rather than a theme consisting of monotonous posts all conveying the same idea.”
Q) What is your favourite thing to photograph?
Rayhan: My favourite thing to photograph is definitely nature. I think that is comes in such vast variety and range that the environment we live in never grows tiresome. I find that nature holds such a mysterious beauty and admire how everyone views it differently based on their perspective. Finally, I love taking pictures when I travel and find the outdoors the perfect outdoors the perfect way to document the grace and elegance that our planets encompasses.
Q) Any tips for people looking to improve their Instagram game?
Rayhan: “Although I don’t identify as an expert photographer I still have a few tips for people looking to better their instagram game. To begin, cluttered photos generally look much worse than versions that are nice and clean. Often, too much going on in the background can greatly depreciate the quality of a picture. Furthermore, be prudent with your edits as over editing is something that can easily render a good picture bad. Ultimately these tips are simply ones that correlate with my idea of a nice photograph. They may largely vary from the opinions of others, so don’t feel obligated to abide by them.”
JAN PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE MONTH - ZINEB NOUR
BY CLAIRE KEENAN
JAN PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE MONTH, is Grade 12 student, Zineb Nour. Zineb first got introduced to photography at a young age, "I started taking photos of random objects when I was small, borrowing my dad's camera." Now it's one of her favourite hobbies, and she enjoys taking pictures of many landscapes. "I like taking photos of buildings and architecture, things that don't change or that I can't control." But, photography isn't her only passion, as she also enjoys making videos. And if she could take a photo or video tape any celebrity? Zineb would choose Daniel Caesar.
dec photographer of the month - abby cooper
by sophie o'reilly
DEC PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE MONTH, is Grade 12 student, Abby Cooper. Below she shares some insights into her aspirations for photography:
S: When did you first become interested in photography?
A: "I bought my first camera with all of my savings after travelling down South in the sixth grade. Experiencing other environments and cultures was something I loved, and I wanted to be able to capture my perception of it"
S: What is the importance of photography to you?
A: "Since then, photography has been a way for me to share my views and ideas. I think it's really important for people to have exposure to different lifestyles and stories because it allows for acceptance and appreciation, something that we as a society have been lacking a lot in recent times."
NOV CINEMATOGRAPHER OF THE MONTH - ANIKA PIGOTT
BY CLAIRE KEENAN
NOV CINEMATOGRAPHER OF THE MONTH, is Grade 12 student, Anika Pigott. Anika enjoys taking photos, but prefers making videos! She started filming in Grade 8 and continues making films of her friends, and family, (and dogs),"I think people are always interesting to watch, because they are unpredictable." Anika draws inspiration from Wes Anderson, Joel & Ethan Coen, Stanley Kubrick, and Brian De Palma, and says she would like Tommy Wiseau to portray in a movie. And if Anika had an unlimited budget for a moive? "I would shoot [the movie] in Paris or Italy and cast Sophia Loren or Audrey Hepburn as two strong, badass, female characters."
OCT PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE MONTH - TYLER RUNIA
By BELLA CRYSLER
OCT PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE MONTH, is Grade 11 student, Tyler Runia. Tyler’s favourite thing to photograph is cityscapes and urban environments because he enjoys “Taking a great shot using the lines from buildings and architecture to compose it”. A photography tip that he would suggest would be to “shoot everything from different angles, every different way you shoot you get a completely different photograph”.