With more and more options for digital pictures, cameras on our phones, professional cameras, editing software, and more, a lot of people have developed more interest in photography, and this is also true in Yutan, with several students taking their interest to a new level. 

One of the students who has recently gotten into photography is junior Jordyn Campbell.

“I got into photography because my mom would take photos at sports events, and when I got injured, that’s just something that I could resort to and do in my freetime,” Campbell said.

Because Campbell hurt her shoulder, she used her time on the bench to take pictures of her softball teammates.

“I got into it in about August and then found that I really enjoyed doing it,” Campbell said.

The Campbells have also inspired others, like sophomore Leah Thompson. 

“Jordyn Campbell and her mom take pictures at our wrestling meets, and I saw them last year take pictures. They made me really want to get into it on my own,” Thompson said.

Thompson also has a photographer aunt who has been a big part of her six-month photography experience. 

“She helps me fix my cameras, adjust my settings and teaches me how to use them more effectively,” Thompson said.

Junior Kylie Krajicek had a different experience, though, as her interest was sparked by a class.

“I started looking at photography when I joined journalism in my freshman year. That’s the main reason why I wanted to do journalism is because I got to see all the upperclassmen take pictures. I thought that was really cool, so I joined journalism just to start taking pictures,” Krajicek said. “Ever since I started journalism, and then I got more into the digital media aspect with everything, I really found a love for it.”

Because they have been doing it for a while, Campbell and Krajicek have learned a few things along the way.

“Two of the most important things I have learned are how to be creative with shots and how to pay very close attention to detail while taking the picture and editing,” Krajicek said. 

For Campbell, some of the most important things go beyond cameras and editing. 

“I’ve learned how to enjoy the little things in life and that seeing other people happy makes me happy,” Campbell said.

Photography is a wide field, but these students are already discovering their specific interests. Krajicek and Thompson are most interested in sports photography. 

“Right now I do a lot of sports photography with Yutan sports. I’d like to start doing Class A games and going to those bigger games to start to gain a bigger following,” Krajicek said.

Since Thompson has cousins at Archbishop Bergan, she has already expanded her photography beyond Yutan. 

“I take pictures at Yutan games, Bergan games and for other schools that participate in Yutan activities…of people playing sports like football, wrestling and softball,” Thompson said.

While Campbell also started with sports, she is now branching out to feature photography.

“I like my football photo taking, but I also take pictures of softball. I’ve done some volleyball, basketball,” Campbell said. “I’ve taken senior photos and family photos for a few families.”

To share their pictures, Campbell, Krajicek and Thompson are posting their pictures on Instagram and gaining a following. 

“During the softball season is when I came up with the idea that I should start an Instagram account…because I thought I was taking pretty good pictures, and I’ve placed at state journalism for photography. So I talked to my mom and I was like, ‘Would it be cool if I started an Instagram account to get those pictures out there?’ so I started taking pictures at a lot more games and then posting them to Instagram and starting to build my account there,” Krajicek said.

While they are putting their pictures out there, these students still know there are challenges to face and things to learn about their hobby. 

“I think adjusting to different things when you get used to taking photos of just one sport. It’s a little harder to adjust to other sports in the lighting of different gymnasiums and fields,” Campbell said.

Besides the technical adjustments, trying to make the photos more unique can also be challenging. 

“So what I’d say, right when I started doing my photography, so did a lot of other people, and so a few challenges were, How can I make my pictures different and how can I stand out?” Krajicek said. “So that’s helped me become better and try to find new angles that maybe other people don’t get or just try new things that people want to think of. So that’s been a challenge for me recently with photography.”

Despite the challenges, Krajicek, Campbell and Thompson still hope to continue with photography at different levels.

“I hope to do photography throughout my high school sports career but also to continue it when I graduate for my brother and his wrestling meets specifically,” Thompson said.

Campbell also hopes to continue with photography for her family.

“I hope to continue it through college and everything, probably do it for my kids, just to watch them grow up and have that available,” Campbell said.

Krajicek is hoping it can lead to a future career in professional photography.

“I think in the future, I want to do some sort of photography/digital media job, which I think would be really cool, like some sort of sports photography and going to NBA games or NFL games and having athletes who want you to take pictures for them,” Krajicek said. “That’s something I want to do because I’m getting into that right now with a lot of sports photography, but hopefully it’s something I can do in my future.”

The positives they’ve found are what motivate these students to continue their photography journeys. 

“I think a lot can be shown through photography. You get to capture not just the picture perfectly standing still, but there’s a lot of creativity that comes with it,” Campbell said. 

Campbell enjoys capturing special moments, but what makes it special for Krajicek is seeing the reactions of others.

“I really like doing it because I like seeing the reaction that all the players have to them,” Krajicek said. “Then seeing that they love the photos enough to post them is like, I don’t want to say something very cheesy, but it touches my heart. It just makes me feel like I’m doing a good job and doing something for other people that they like.”