Coming into 2019, I picked a word that I would orient my goals and outlook around for the remainder of the year, and hopefully beyond. That word was confidence. I wanted to be more confident in myself, my photography, my ability to feel good when outside my comfort zone, etc. When I interviewed for a photography internship at PATTERN in February, I was so nervous going into it. However, as I sat waiting for the interview to begin, I realized that this would be the perfect opportunity for me to grow and learn from other creative minds in a collaborative environment.
After I got accepted for the internship, I spent the two weeks leading up to the first day nervous, excited and everything in between. In all honesty though, I relished the challenge and growth that was coming. I was so ready to find out who would be interning with me, who I would meet, use a studio space with my camera, work with models, all of it.
When I got to PATTERN on the first day and realized there were 10 other interns they hired for the summer, I knew the internship was going to be fun. We all ended up clicking and getting along very quickly. Throughout the three months at PATTERN, we did a number of different things in the photography field. Among those things, one of them that me and the other photography interns did quite often was model test shoots with models from agencies such as Lmodelz and Helen Wells. It was a joy to work with new studio equipment and do shoots with up-and-coming models. I believe it was a great opportunity to build my portfolio as well as experiment with what I can do in a studio setting. I’m going to do everything I can to make a homemade studio of my own this upcoming year now because I’ve fallen in love with it so much.
Overall, I believe I grew immensely both as a person and a photographer throughout my time here. I learned new techniques for editing, learned how to direct a photoshoot with confidence and assisted the other photography interns on their shoots to pick up new strategies. As a person, I believe it reminded me of the importance of work ethic and how you should love what you do. If you love what you do, it makes it feel less like work. This summer, I had to learn how to balance summer school, an internship, a job, a social life and commuting between Carmel and Muncie. It was a challenge I had never previously faced before this summer. I was able to stay busy, productive & happy through it all.
This internship contributed to my word of the year (confidence) quite a bit I believe. Coming out of the summer and entering my final year of undergrad at Ball State, I feel properly equipped and prepared to take on the challenges that come with this upcoming year. I cannot thank the people at PATTERN enough for giving me the opportunity to work for a magazine that encapsulates the spirit of Indianapolis and the creative minds behind it so well.
