By Staff Writer: Marissa VanDaelen
Senior year is the end of the road for students’ high school careers. Most people during this time decide to get senior pictures taken for memories of their last year of high school. Parents, relatives, and friends usually like to have these pictures as well. Some seniors have no clue where to get their pictures taken, so some students at Howell High School have offered to help.
Senior Nicole Brown is one of the few students that have offered to take senior pictures for people. She’ll be in Photography IV second semester and is really passionate about what she does. Brown advertises herself, Nicole Brown Photography, on her Facebook page.
“I love taking senior pictures because I really enjoy taking portraits over landscapes or still life. I think portraits are able to convey more emotion in the photograph,” Brown says.
Likewise, Brown has had a love for photography since she took Photography I in her ninth grade year. As a senior, her love for the art has only grown.
“I love photography in general and when a friend asked me to take her senior pictures for her, I realized how much I liked doing them and it’s just kind of snowballed from there,” Brown says.
Like most professional photographers, Brown uses Photoshop CS6 to edit all of her photos. Photoshop is practically a necessity for professional photo editing, graphic design, and digital imaging.
“Photoshop is my best friend at this point,” Brown laughs.
Senior pictures are a nice thing to have done and Brown will gladly take them for people who ask.
“Nikki is amazing! She really knows who she is through each picture, it’s incredible. I love the way mine turned out and I’d recommend anyone to get theirs done by her,” senior Ryanne Belkowski says.
Junior Sierra Rivera is another student that has participated in taking senior pictures for students. She will also gladly take senior pictures for anyone who wants them done by her.
“I like taking senior pictures because I love setting up people in flattering poses and I’m always open for outgoing ideas in ways or themes people like. When I take them, it’s a whole lot of fun! I really get to interact and see how much someone is comfortable with the camera. It plays a big role in how the pictures turn out,” Rivera says.
Rivera has always had a general love for photography but it has certainly increased throughout her past high school years.
“I have a huge passion for photography. When I’m with my camera, I don’t have to feel shy. When I look through my lens, I can create what I want people to see. I also really enjoy enhancing the pictures, that’s where I have endless possibilities on what I want to create,” Rivera says.
Similarly to Brown, Rivera mainly edits her pictures using Photoshop. Editing in Photoshop can take some skill to get used to since there’s so much to it but it is definitely beneficial once the techniques are learned.
“Editing pictures can either be an easy or very challenging process. If you’re a good photographer, you have to always think about what’s in the background. It’s not good if the background is too distracting because the last thing you want a senior to have in their picture is something that takes the focus off of them,” Rivera says.
