As senior Sara Hamilton was practicing for the 1st time with her new camera, she snapped a photo of tulips that took her completely by surprise. Now an avid photographer, 2 years ago she enrolled in a photography class for the 1st time.

“I was really surprised because it was a lot better than I was expecting, and that was 1 of the reasons that I kept with [the class],” said Hamilton.

Now a member of the AP Photography course, Hamilton continues to carry around her camera, looking for opportunities to take another unexpected shot. A lot of the pictures are captured “just randomly” from her own backyard or from vacation, she said.

“I try to think of what a new perspective would be,” said Hamilton. She takes note of color, composition, and angle when choosing her subjects. Her main goal is to make the ordinary extraordinary.

Hamilton doesn’t see herself as a natural artist. Photography is “an art form that I’m good at that isn’t drawing,” she said.

Nevertheless, the “creativity” involved with photography has maintained her interest.

It helps that photography offers a break from the rigors of her academic classes.. “School is so serious a lot of the time, it’s nice to relax a little bit,” said Hamilton.