When I shoot, I seek to capture humanity as I see it. When I started 2 years ago, I believed that to do so, it was best to be a fly on the wall; however, this past year has taught me that the opposite is true. It is often easy for me to notice all the ways humanity differs, but by taking a moment to immerse myself in the events I photograph, I have found countless ways we choose to unite. I have been asked to join strangers and friends alike to listen to music, dance, play games, and learn new skills.
Photos are much more than the perfect shot. I hope that as you look at these photos, they will be more than a pretty picture. I hope you feel the excitement, peace, inspiration, empathy, and love I felt taking them. As we enter this new year, I hope you remember that in many ways we are all the same. Take time to slow down, meet new people, and learn as much as you can from strangers, friends, and yourself.
January
Snow in Georgia! At the beginning of January, Georgia experienced snow (that actually stuck)! As made evident by the thin sneakers, baseball caps, and sweatpants, Georgians are not prepared for such a southern rarity. I took my camera out around my college campus to document the excitement students shared about cancelled classes and a fresh new start to 2025.
February
In February, I got the chance to capture the DWTS Live! Tour when they came to Atlanta and wrote an article for my school’s newspaper. As the Fox Theatre filled with spectators adorned with sparkles, bright colors, and DWTS fan merch, I could feel anticipation bursting throughout the theatre hall. Though I experienced many incredible moments through photography this year, and I am eager to see what next year will bring, this event will absolutely be one of my favorites. Almost a year later, and I still feel the electrifying excitement I felt the night of the show each time I look back at the photos.
March
Living in a city, it is not often that I have an opportunity to take nature photos, but in March, I went camping with some friends, which gave me the perfect excuse to add more nature photos to my portfolio. In this photo and the one beneath, I experimented with the exposure and shutter speed of a small creek.
April
I didn’t take many photos in April, as I got very busy with school, but a friend of mine asked me to take photos at an event, and of course, I’ll say yes to any event photography opportunity I get, especially if it’s a concert event. Around this time (April) of last year, I took my first concert photographs at a charity concert, and since then, it has quickly become one of my favorite forms of photography.
May
This past year, I attended several commencement ceremonies for family members, and while each unfortunately felt to drag on forever, looking back at the photos, I see excitement, gratitude, and anticipation from graduates, students, siblings, and loved ones. Even with thousands of people packed into a stadium, students picked out their parents in the crowd, embraced their friends, and celebrated their peers, each in their own world.
June
This past summer, I pet-sat a dog, and of course, took it as an opportunity to stage many photoshoots in my apartment. Before more seriously getting into photography, I used to stage photoshoots with my childhood dog, who (begrudgingly) obliged. Looking at these vs. the ones I took of my old dog helps me remember how much I’ve already learned and improved. In the years to come, as I continue to learn, I can’t wait to look back at these photos and once again remember how much I’ve improved.
July/August
At the end of the Summer I travelled to Paris, France, with my cousin. I couldn’t help but bring my camera, capturing new moments from the touristy places we visited to the locals enjoying their evening or commuting home.
September
Some of my favorite photos from this year required little thought to take. Like this one, out of a window in the city. As I was walking back to my apartment, I saw bubbles floating out of a window and snapped a quick picture without much thought. It’s an important lesson that sometimes there does not need to be a special reason to take a picture or require the perfect composition.
October
Photos from an iPhone. I didn’t get around to taking many photos this month. Even so, when out with friends one weekend, I chose to use the opportunity to take some photos.
November
Another set of simple photos. I don’t often take photos of food, but I have become the family photographer, so here are some photos from our Thanksgiving dinner 🙂
December
Ending the year with yet another dog photo! If you know me, you’ve probably already seen pictures of him, but this is Villhelm!
That’s it! It’s been another great year taking photos with so many exciting new experiences. I wish everyone a wonderful new year. I’m excited to continue growing this hobby as it evolves with many new changes in my life this upcoming year.
Happy New Year,
-Olivia