Blog 9/5: 📷 Me and My Camera 📷

Now that I’m a senior and passing down the role of historian to the underclassmen, I realize how much being the person with the camera meant to me. Prior to joining Asian Outlook, photography had always been just a small hobby that allowed me to watch from afar and admire what was in front of me. I never truly thought that my small camera would connect me to what I consider a really valuable group of friends.

 As I was taking pictures of my fellow E-board members, I began reflecting, and I really appreciated being able to be the one to capture their precious moments: their planned events, their amazing poses and THEIR energy, with just the click of my camera. I was a beginner at photography when I joined AO, but now that so many years have passed and I’ve grown, I can’t help but relate my growth to my dedication to AO. Being a person of very few words, I felt like my work was the best way to showcase how much I cared about the work my fellow members were putting into their events or magazines. Therefore, I spent countless hours ensuring I provided the highest quality of work I could for any photos I provided. I think this is where my love for being the person behind the camera began.

However, the moment I will forever remember is when I started taking portraits for my E-board members in AO and another club. Sure, it was gratifying to hear people say that the photos were great, but what touched me more is that after taking portraits of members who were truly uncomfortable with the camera, they began feeling confident. I wish I could say it was my “skill” but it really wasn't. I just happened to know how to capture the right moments, and hearing members say they finally had a photo in which they felt good about themselves made me happy. As someone who is a bit introverted, I find solace in being able to capture important moments for my fellow members of Asian Outlook. It's a way for me to show them that I care. To the next line of E-board members, particularly the historian, I hope you can also develop a similar connection with your E-board through your photos.

Fatima Gonzalez

Vice President