Over this last year I have grown in many ways, but even more so within the last five months I’ve been attending FC. In January, I was brand new to the school and I had no idea what to expect.

On the day that I came and shadowed, Greg Stobbe approached me and asked me if I had any interest in writing or photography. I went on to share how passionate I was about taking photos and capturing moments for others to cherish. Stobbe simply replied, “You’re in.”

During my time on The Feather, I have grown not only mentally, but spiritually as well. I’ve also been able to critique my photography skills to make my photos even better. I learned the importance of time management and effective communication. This is important because I have used the skill of time management to lower my stress levels instead of getting too flustered and overwhelmed.

Communication is even more important because The Feather team relies on you to do your job. If I wasn’t able to complete a task for any reason, I talked to someone about it instead of just leaving the work unfinished.

Besides these skills, dedication will help me further my future professions because it is useful when having a job. I have grown spiritually because of the great work environment I was in. My adviser Kori Friesen would always offer to pray over me or any concern I had. This has helped me in my walk with faith. I have also built numerous friendships that have made my year even more enjoyable.

In the month of February, Friesen took me to River Park Mall to practice and improve our photography skills along with other photojournalists Kaylie Clem, Julia Fikse, and Blake Deffenbacher. Here, Friesen pointed out the importance of textures to look for while shooting and what angles to shoot from according to the placement of the sun. She also taught us how to make our clients feel the most comfortable in front of the camera by demonstrating different positions to have them stand or sit like along with different facial expressions.

Friesen said that the most effective way to figure out your client is by talking to them and experiencing their personality for yourself. With these new tips and tricks in mind, I have been able to better my photography skills and further my business and relationships with my clients.

This year, The Feather got the opportunity to travel to New York for the 94th annual CSPA Spring Convention due to the fact that we were nominated as a Gold Crown finalist. The night before the journalists were supposed to leave, I was at a friends house one evening just hanging out and playing card games when Friesen had called me. She explained how photojournalist Cayla Rivas was diagnosed with a concussion and she would not be able to fly to New York with the team. The crazy part was that she asked me if I wanted to go. The even crazier part is that I said, “yes.”

I had less than 12 hours to try and comprehend what I was getting myself into whereas the other journalists had a full year to think about it. During this trip, I was able to participate in once in a lifetime opportunities such as visiting Ground Zero and going to the very top of Rockefeller Center to witness a breathtaking sunset over New York City. We walked around the city during the day, exploring all it had to offer, while capturing those moments on camera.

When night came, we went through our photos of the day and wrote out our posts trying to best explain what events or adventures we had gone through that day. On this trip, I was able to put to use my time management skills and experience what it was like to be publishing coast to coast. It was such an honor to be a part of an an award-winning team and to accept the Gold Crown.

Photography is my passion and it brings me joy. With the new skills I have acquired over these few months on The Feather, I am even more confident with my abilities. I have improved my methods of getting to better know my clients and finding more creative ways to capture what they want to see, but at the same time using my personal style.

Upcoming photojournalists, do not be afraid to ask for help. I, myself, am very shy when it comes to getting help but I wouldn’t have been able to perform or work the way I did if I didn’t ask for help. Yes, it is hard work, so time is your friend, or your enemy. Use your time wisely by prewriting posts and taking more photos than you think you’ll need.

I would like to thank my advisers Stobbe and Friesen for investing time and helping me learn. I appreciate the new skills I have acquired with both writing and photography. Thank you for always encouraging me. I am thankful that you could push me beyond my comfort zone in the classroom and go out and find a story to tell and capture. You believed in me more than I believed in myself; you thought I was special and unique. Thank you so much for bringing me into a brand new environment and helping me to find confidence in myself.

Next year, Pouliot plans on finishing her senior year at FCS. She plans on continuing her passion for photography with her business. She will be focusing on her academics as well as her track and field career.

Below is a collection of Pouliot’s favorite photos taken over this last year.

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For more Feather reflections, read Senior reflection: Cayla Rivas and Senior Reflection – Juliana Lozano.

This author can be reached via twitter @bethanydawnnnn and via email Bethany Pouliot.