With commencement two weeks in the past, my realization that I’m done going to St. Olaf is finally setting in. My four years on that campus drove much of my personal development, sometimes in quite unexpected directions. My photographic journey shows no exception.

First year (2015-2016)

Right before starting my first year at Olaf, I managed to land a position as a student photographer for St. Olaf’s Marketing Department. This introduction to the world of professional photograph slowly changed my shooting style as I adapted to the demands of a large organization. Along the way, my supervisors provided countless pieces of advice, covering everything from camera settings and posing directions to editing and organization techniques. I credit all of that advice with beginning my growth away from my previously sloppy shooting style.

That spring, I began shooting far more frequently. My new knowledge catalyzed a resurgence of interest in my surroundings, as I began my now long-standing ritual of wandering campus and the Natural Lands, looking for any and all photo opportunities. Gone were the days of boredom with Northfield.

I also began my (somewhat irregular) interest in automotive photography. Taking photos of both my friend’s car and MN Cars and Coffee, I finally combined my gear-head tendencies with my photography.

Sophomore year (2016-2017)

It’s a hard distinction to make, but I think that this year may have seen my largest growth out of any at St. Olaf. In the fall, I took my first photography class at Olaf, bringing a newly structured approach to my shooting. Rather than just taking photos whenever the mood struck, I needed to provide consistent, high-quality work with a lot of variety. It wasn’t always easy, but that pressure changed my ways of thinking once again, and taught me how to shoot in conditions other than my absolute favorites.

My interest in portraits took off during that class. One of my classmate’s Instagram pages wowed me. Suddenly, I wanted to create beautiful images of my friends. Even after my photography class had finished, I continued scheduling practice shoots, which eventually led to paid shoots. I still love to compare my portraits from the beginning of the year to those from the end. It’s incredible how much I learned over that short time.

I also made significant progress in my nature photography. Between my winter break visit to Death Valley National Park and my continued shooting around St. Olaf, I took many landscape and wildlife images which still hold their own against my most recent work. My newly-decided environmental studies major only provided further motivation to capture the beauty of the natural world.

Junior year (2017-2018)

If one word describes this school year best, it’s certainly “landscapes”. While I took photos in many genres, none came close to the effort and enthusiasm I poured into my landscape work. Many of the photos I took that year made their way into St. Olaf’s collection of marketing images, much to my delight. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of seeing my work distributed to thousands of potential students (including my own sister!). I suppose that there are few honors higher than having the marketing department trust my photos to provide the ever-critical first impression of campus.

I also shifted my lens to smaller subjects in the natural world. My newly-purchased macro lens provided both the means and the inspiration to explore many of the often overlooked details around campus. Flowers and spring sprouts drew me out of my dorm room for countless evening shoots, conveniently filling my Instagram and portfolio along the way.

Senior year (2018-2019)

I would call this my year of refinement. I can’t think of any major breakthroughs or new frontiers. Instead, I settled into my own comfortable niche, and focused on perfecting my craft. Even though I often took photos of the same subjects as the previous four years, boredom rarely struck. If anything, the challenge of producing unique photos pushed me to think in new, creative ways. Even when I don’t really care for the results, each photo teaches me just a little more about my camera, my subjects, and myself.

I suppose that it’s only natural to move into this period of incremental improvements. That leaps and bounds style of development that I enjoyed back in sophomore year can’t be sustained forever. That doesn’t bother me, though. That sort of rapid progress gets tiring after a while. It’s somewhat meditative to sit back and work on marginal changes for a change, even though it may sound boring at first. I never know whether a certain change to my method will pay off, but it’s always worth trying.

What next?

I don’t have the clearest idea of where life will take me. No matter where I end up, I know that photography is a given. I’ve been taking photos for nearly a decade now, and there’s no way that’ll change. It’s just too deeply ingrained in my blood. But who knows what direction my work will head. Maybe I’ll stick with landscape, wildlife, and portraits, continuing my steady refinement. Perhaps another genre will catch my interest, and I’ll move towards a different style of shooting. Whatever direction my photography takes, I know that I’ll enjoy it all along the way. After all, isn’t that what hobbies are all about?