Living for the Shutter: Photography

Though Michelle Park, a senior at Auburn University, dreams of one day becoming a pediatric doctor, photography has become a serious artistic pastime. As a student, she’s taken pictures for fellow classmates as well as created special projects. Recently, her work, “Daze,” has been featured in the school magazine, The Circle.

When did you become interested in photography?

“I first became interested in photography when I was in middle school and started taking photos with my little digital point and shoot. I really wanted one of those “fancy cameras,” and it took years and years of convincing my parents to finally get my Nikon D5100 in high school.”

How do you decide on a subject?

“If I had a choice I would pick someone who is naturally good at posing so I have less work to do, haha. But most of my subjects come to me instead of the other way around, so I just work with what I have.”

What type of subjects do you get excited by?

“I get excited by themed shots because anything unique and creative is a way to grab a viewer’s attention. Right now, I’m very into scenes you wouldn’t normally see in ordinary life, like say a ballerina in a grocery store, or someone wearing a swimsuit to a gas station.”

What photo do you think turned out well and what was the process?

“I really love the way “daze” turned out, because it makes you feel a peaceful kind of chaos. The cool, natural colors dull the chaotic movement of the hair. Daze was just one of those shots I just happened to take at the right time. It was also a photo that really came to life after editing the colors to be a bit darker and richer.”

Why photography over other mediums?

“Photography is magical to me because it essentially stops a moment in time and produces an image that can never be duplicated. I also very much enjoy the editing process because it allows you to take a photograph and enhance it to its full potential. It’s also interesting because there are many different ways to edit it, to change the emotion or message you want to convey.”

Michelle hopes to continue her passion for photography as she attends Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine in the fall.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *