Relishing the Challenge
A traditional graduation ceremony might have caps and gowns and tassels, but like many things this year, graduation looked much different than in the past. For The Oaks Academy, a ceremony in a beautiful church with a full choir was suddenly upended and transplanted. They took the challenge in stride.
This year, the Oaks Academy held their graduation ceremony at Tibbs Drive-in movie theatre so that they could celebrate together while adhering to safe social distancing protocols. I was tasked with the challenge of taking pictures that would show the feeling of actually being there.
Quickly adapting to the new environment was a challenge in and of itself. People were flashing their lights and celebrating the graduating seniors of 2020. I snapped photos of families and the various speakers. All the individual families stayed with their cars.
I also tried to capture creative, evocative pictures that portrayed the ceremony in all of its challenges and highlights of an evening that wound up being perfect. I’m of the mind that to really enjoy your work, you have to also enjoy the challenges it brings.
In previous jobs, I could see my coworkers truly loving the challenges they were thrown in and out of normal working hours. I, however, didn’t feel the same. I felt imposed upon.
But that is wholly different when it comes to photography. I relish the challenges. I love being thrown in the deep end and figuring out how to tell the story of various people and organizations. It offers me the chance to flex my muscles and grow in my skills.
For the thrill, to prove you can, to look back on a job well done: whatever the reason, there comes a time when the bunny slopes just don’t do it for you anymore, and you start looking longingly at the Black Diamond.
So give me a challenge! Does your organization have an interesting or unique story to tell?
Whether that’s nontraditional headshots and team photos, or interesting brand imagery, I’m ready to meet the challenge head-on and offer you compelling corporate photography.
