I was fortunate to participate in the Propel program in both Grades 11 and 12. Last year my focus was to learn about film photography and to create a book showcasing my film images of “outdated” objects. My plan for Grade 12 was actually several smaller projects focused around photography and art.

The largest of these was the redesign of my film photography book, Outdated, from Grade 11. Outdated is a collection of photos I took over the span of three years. Together, and individually, these images represent stories—not mine—but from times past.  My vision for the book is to encourage viewers to imagine what stories my photos could be telling.

While revamping it, I learned how to use InDesign and even picked up some basic graphic design skills. I created a cover using polaroid photos that I had scanned, and I chose a different font that was more unique than the last. I attempted to write a foreword multiple times but, in the end, decided to ask my aunt if she would as she Is an exceptional writer. I added some new photos to this version of Outdated and removed others in hopes that everyone would be able find a story in each one. If you want to follow along with my photographic journey you can find me @yet.another.photography.page on Instagram.

The second largest part of my project was to mentor and help others with their work.  This was done using skills I’ve developed through Propel in photography and graphic design. I worked a fair amount with Lina who was doing fashion design and building a brand. I took photos of her finished pairs of pants and made her stickers and buttons with her new logo on it. The photos I took are being used for advertising, and the stickers and buttons I created will be free marketing materials. Scarlette asked me if I would take photos for the cover of her album, Heartscapes. Together we decided to shoot it on Polaroid film but brought a digital camera for backup. For the cover Scarlette chose a Polaroid photo of her standing on the St. Mary’s bridge, the final product looks amazing. Max, who was another musician in the class, asked me to shoot a cover for their album Scenic Route. Another photographer had shot photos for Max but due to an unfortunate event, all the photos were gone. I agreed to help and with Propel coming to an end there wasn’t much time. Max and I went out on a hike in a beautiful forest to take the photos. After an hour and a half, we got the photo that would become the cover.

One of the side projects I completed was artwork featuring horses to market at a local ranch. This ranch has quite a large clientele who take riding lessons, go on trail rides, or board their animals. With a portfolio of some sample art pieces, I presented the idea to the barn manager—everyone agreed it would be a hit. I finished five paintings this semester and made prints which are on sale at the ranch.