A year in Focus

What makes a yearbook genuinely special are the memories incorporated into it, every picture and emotion represents the people who lived those experiences. 

For being a yearbook photographer entirely involves capturing their tales while sharing our personal stories and me just being there makes part of my journey entailing in a way that embraces what we have in common.

Interactions, not just events, are reflected in every page I make and shot I take. I’ve been able to see the bigger picture by taking multiple evenings and advisory hours perfecting layouts and documenting unscripted situations or glimpses we get that brings life to the page. I’ve learned from yearbook that my journey is linked with others’ and each picture shows a different aspect of our shared identiy. 

As a yearbook contributor, I see myself as a collector. More so gathering all of these emotions and connections rather than just being there for the event, the crowds and the experiences make everything worthwhile. Whether it's a tough game, a big achievement, a casual banquet, or a lively dance, every moment is unique and deserves to be preserved. 

Despite all of these events, the beauty is in creating these moments rather than just snapping a photo. It comes down to being there in order to be involved and record the connection, the emotion that pieces the story together. Yearbook isn’t simply about portraying simple images, rather the elements that tell the tale.

Not just by going through the pages of the yearbook we’ve produced, but also through the yearbook and chapters of my own life, I developed lasting connections with people I knew but had never had the opportunity to make a connection with. 

Leading up to all the events I go to, going out of my way to attend gatherings and exciting occasions made the experience much more significant because I knew I wasn’t simply capturing images but making these connections with people I didn't know I needed on my journey of learning and being behind the lens itself.

The yearbook isn't any ordinary book; it lies in the hands of our students which they contribute to shaping a bunch of these temporary laughs and crowds into something permanent that makes last on our pages. It’s about noting the little things that characterize each experience and incorporating them to create a fuller image and willingness to show what our school is all about.

Gazing back on my final year of high school, I’ve come to understand that yearbooks are more than preserving moments and more than documenting special occasions. The broader picture is that behind every edit and layout that organizes the page is the unique experiences of these different insights of what a photographer for yearbook sees. 

Moreso capturing the joy on someone’s face as they catch a victory on a big play or the conservations amongst giant crowds at a dance that others might miss or not pay attention to. In our community, these will be heavily remembered and that students will continue to pursue the yearbook throughout the years.