Ever since sophomore Cassie Howard got her little pink digital camera at age 11, she has been in love with photography. Cassie said, “My favorite thing about photography is that I can take someone, put them into a totally different environment and bring out their inner beauty.” Cassie believes that any emotion can be captured in a photo, which is why photography is so unique.  She considers herself bad at drawing, but she feels “artistic” when she is behind the camera.

Cassie is just a beginner in Photo I, and had never taken any photography classes until this year. She decided to learn the technical side of the art by taking pictures of everything in sight. She finds taking a class a lot different and harder than what she had ever done but loves the way the film photos turn out. “We learn a lot more about the lighting and the positioning and the actual logistics of photography,” said Cassie.

Cassie mostly takes pictures of the people she hangs out with, such as her friends Kelsey Smith and Annie Brzezinski. Of her most interesting photoshoot with Annie, Cassie said “We went outside in the winter with bed sheets wrapped around us and posed in a field in front of the sunset, the pictures turned out really well.” Photography allows her to manipulate reality and express herself creatively. Sophomore Meredith Marley described Cassie’s photography as fun to look at but also “so professional and always of very good quality.” Cassie always has her camera around in case there is anything to capture, but usually  takes pictures approximately every two weeks.

Her camera of choice is an Olympus EPL1 and from time to time she uses a Nikon D3000. As for editing her photos, she uses Picasa for basic editing and Adobe Photoshop for more complex editing. In winter, she doesn’t take a lot of pictures in the winter because of the gray coldness, but in summer she is constantly taking pictures under the sunlight. She mainly showcases her work on Facebook, since it’s the best outlet.

Outside of photography, Cassie’s main hobby is dancing. She is a member of Phoenix Fire and is also on the She Devils dance team. Currently, Cassie is making a fan page and is looking for more opportunities to take senior pictures and more family events where she can express her creativity as well as hone her talent. In the future, Cassie wants to be a professional photographer and work for any big-time glossy magazine.