Hi, my name is Caroline Cohen. For my STEP project, I went on a photography trip to Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, Monument Valley, and Zion Canyon National Park (with a couple other stops along the way). I purchased a mirrorless Fujifilm XT100 camera for this trip.
When I embarked on this trip, I was not thinking much into the experience beyond I would get to learn how to use my camera and explore a part of the country I have never been to before. I knew the places we were scheduled to photograph would be amazing, but I never had the time to sit down and think about how cool an experience I would have on the trip prior to being in these scenic destinations. I am an Industrial and Systems Engineering major, and I typically find myself glued to my studies/all things school related. I did not have much time for creative endeavors in my daily school life, but after this trip, I learned how photography is a great way to release and take in the beauty in the world.
The biggest skillset takeaway for me from this process was learning how to photograph. As our photography mentor, Tony Small, taught us — learning how to use your camera is like a chef using a knife. The camera is the tool needed to take the photographs, and it is important to know all of its features and capabilities, but the real process is knowing the photographs to take in the first place. I took thousands of pictures on this trip, but I came to the conclusion quickly that a massive amount of pictures would edit down to a handful of great pictures for me to reference later. We also learned how to use Photoshop and Lightroom to edit pictures, so I learned how modern day photographs should be taken on specific settings to allow for proper editing and reprinting — such as on a calendar.
I also really appreciated the friendships I made on this trip. I got my camera a month before embarking on the trip, so I was worried that I would fall behind from the group in camera knowledge, or even become embarrassed at my pictures for not being as good as those of my peers. However, during this trip I was fully supported by both mentors and the ten other students, and it was a healthy learning experience for me to ask questions and learn more about my craft.
Lastly, one of my major takeaways was the experiences our group had along the way. The destinations we went to were things that you would see in movies or on screensavers –literally! I deeply enjoyed going and taking photos at these spots because I wanted to capture the beauty of the scenery and look back on it for the rest of my life. When we went to Antelope Canyon, our tour guide, Eli, was actually a photography guide and taught the group about frame angles, incoming light, and what some of the experts from Apple, Samsung, and Microsoft look for in their screensavers. Additionally, the sights at Zion Canyon National Park were the most stunning things I have ever seen in my life.
Not only was I able to practice and hone in on my craft on this trip, but I left with a whole new stance on photography and nature entirely. Looking up at the tops of the mountains in Zion was the greatest experience of my life — I felt so small compared to the giant magnificent towers around me. Additionally, there were waterfalls around every corner of our hikes, and the water was just so gorgeous to photograph and experience personally. It was very humbling experience, and made me feel in touch with the earth. I am so thankful that STEP allowed me to go on the trip of a lifetime!
