Every week or so, sophomore Cassidy McAlpin can be seen with a camera, walking around in her backyard, snapping pictures of whatever catches her eye. She often takes pictures of her 2 sisters, but what she likes even better are the intimate encounters with backyard flowers, or her dog.

“I really like to zoom in close on things and try to find a perspective that’s different,” McAlpin said.

McAlpin was inspired by her aunt, who is a professional photographer. “I really look up to her and want to be like her,” she said. Her aunt would fly from her home in Utah to photograph the McAlpin family. She also often took portraits of other families, and McAlpin would tag along. “I would go along with her to shoots that she had and it was really fun, so I started trying to take pictures on my own.” She bought some nicer cameras and eventually fell in love with photography and the relaxation that it brought. According to McAlpin, it has helped her manage school stress.

McAlpin is currently in Photo 1. “She stands out a bit and does consistently great work. When I’m walking around the room and I look at her images, it’s been more than once or twice that I’ve gone up to her to take a more careful look at her work,” said instructor Collette Sweeney.

“For me, a good photo is when I’m proud of the way it turned out. It looks good to me, and I think that’s what’s important,” she said. McAlpin added that her specialty just happens to be getting close and capturing unique perspectives. She hopes to make a living as a photographer. “I really want to be a photographer when I grow up, like my aunt,” she said. “I want to have a career that I enjoy, and photography is something that I really enjoy.”