When I thought of working for my aunt with her photography business, I thought it was a perfect idea. I liked taking pictures of nature and I believed it would be a perfect first co-op. My aunt owns Shutterbug Photography in Monroe, Louisiana. Her main clients are typically families with young children to infants.When I take pictures, I prefer nature not people. It was quite an adjustment to make. Being here makes me see photography in a different light. It was an amazing feeling to capture a two year old’s cake smash or a sixteen year old’s birthday. I see why my aunt dedicates herself to photography. She captures people and emotion in her pictures. I capture nature’s beauty in mine.
My aunt decided to take my cousins and I to Hot Springs, Arkansas. During this trip, I had the opportunity to take a lot of pictures of nature. Hot Springs is a beautiful town filled with crystals, ghost stories, beautiful landmarks and people. My aunt has been teaching me about healing stones and tarot cards which is very popular in Hot Springs. I always thought nothing of this sort of thing, but she opened my eyes to a different way of thinking. I have been doing more research into crystals and tarot, which I now find very interesting. After Hot Springs, my aunt took us to the Buffalo River. It was absolutely beautiful. We found crystals and shells along the river then stayed in a cabin.
My eldest cousin, Caitlin, suggested we start geocaching. This was on our last day so we didn’t do much but we got an old chicken little toy after trading in a plastic cow from a coin game. It might not seem like much but the journey to find it was beautiful. I didn’t take any pictures of where we found it because it’s such a beautiful sight that a photo can’t capture it.
Besides capturing moments with a camera, I have also been working on capturing a moment with pencil and paper. I have been trying different art and drawing styles to find what suites me. I have enjoyed drawing my favorite characters from anime and tv shows. When I start a drawing, I study the subject. I want to get the drawing just right. I’m planning on doing more art as well as photography while I am on co-op. As a first co-op, this has really opened my eyes to what I want to do for a career.
