It started in the fall, but flourished in the spring.
Work from Pro Photo 1
Pro Photo 1 Final Project - Product Shoot
In the fall of 2025, I took the first level of West Park High’s Pro Photography pathway, and it changed everything for me.
The first course of the pathway taught me the absolute basics of photography, while also giving way to my own creativity. I didn’t quite know it at the time, but this course would change the way I’d look at the world. Not only was my outlook changed, but my personal and professional goals changed.
As a junior, my only exposure to the school’s CTE (Career Technical Education) department was quite limited, since I had taken three of the four biomedical science courses prior to my time in photography. Through taking this pathway, I learned that even as a student, I can contribute and produce professional work under a department that leads with industry standards.
Once I had become a teacher’s assistant for the photography department, I got a behind-the-scenes look at the sheer amount of collaboration between departments and the school administration. This included working with graphic design for various projects such as social media posts and sports senior banners.
By myself, I sought out opportunities to use gear. I had always been intrigued by professional sports such as the NFL and even the Olympics, so it only made sense to capture it at the most convenient level: high school.
Since taking up sports photography as my primary genre to shoot, I’ve experienced the highs of getting “the shot“, and the lows of looking at my work, wishing I tried something a little different.
Like anything, you learn by doing, and perfect your craft with repetition. In my first semester as a photography student, I would go to water polo games, not knowing that the pool deck would become one of my favorite locations to shoot from. In the spring, I was in the second course of the photography pathway, finding my footing with new gear. Even with the new gear that almost made it feel like I was cheating at photography, I still had plenty to prove. Despite having a busy schedule at school, I always did my best going out to different sports, and even attending away tournaments.
Now that it has been a year since my photography journey has started, I have a lot to look back on, but a lot more to look forward to.