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Behind the Lens: Auburn Student Photographers
Auburn students in every field spend countless hours practicing and perfecting their passions, working and striving toward their goals. Each sleepless night morphs into a bright-eyed new day, where hard work pays off and eventually, things click. Or click-click-click, in this case.This handful of students can be found behind camera lenses all over Auburn. Whether shooting for campaigns or athletics, concerts or landscapes, babies or businesses, they are finding a way to pursue their passion in photography. Meet Savannah Silver, Anna Conn, Will Givens, Madding McFadden, Sarah Partain, Ethan Gulley, Stefanie Sjostrom and Ashley Kickliter! Savannah Silver, Savannah Silver PhotographySavannah Silver is an ambitious college junior from Huntsville majoring in quantitative economics. It's not what you might assume as a major of choice for a photographer, but that's exactly what you can expect from her: the unexpected. Savannah's father bought her family a DSLR camera when she was in seventh grade, and it became something she became fascinated with. "I would literally go to Barnes & Noble to look at magazines and books with really beautiful and profound pictures, and I just became obsessed with it," she recalls of her early days. She's evolved since then into a young professional, and has learned what it means to run a successful business model through her photography. " The majority of her photography revolves around family and children, but she has also captured powerful humanitarian pictures through her visits to Guatemala."Concert photography is my favorite," she says. Switchfoot, her favorite band, as well as the workout phenomenon Crossfit have both used her photos commercially."Some of my most amazing experiences have come from being willing to take pictures in unique situations," she adds. "It's such a unique way to bless someone." Will Givens, Will Givens PhotographyBorn in Kentucky and raised in East Alabama, Will Givens' photography truly connects him with his roots. He captures the heart of his subjects with a southern, eclectic "homey" feel. A freshman in pre-graphic design, his love for photography began on a mission trip at age 13 and quickly snowballed from there. Before he knew it, he was photographing weddings and purchasing a business license. He photographed his first wedding in Charleston, S.C. before he was even able to drive. What Will loves most about taking photos isn't the "Aha!" moment when everything falls into place before the camera--he loves the connection with the subject. "So many people mistakenly think the secret is in the settings, the lighting or the pose. It's not," he says. "A great photograph is created when the subject trusts the photographer. You can see it in the subject's expression." Will also loves the story-telling aspect of photography, and considers it an integral part of the southern culture. According to him, "the great photographs of our day are set apart not for their exposure or composition, but for what they communicate to the viewer."Will's business has grown enormously in recent years. He recently had t-shirts made to market himself. He's currently shooting for Chirpwood (@bychirpwood), a local start-up that handcrafted frames and sends more than half of the profits to an organization in Rwanda, as well as his regular freelance work. "Whether its pictures of frames or families, every photograph should communicate something," Will says. He hopes his "something" is both classic and conversational. Anna Conn, Anna Conn PhotographyAnna Conn finds true joy in displaying the beauty of someone or something in unique ways. She taught herself the photography basics in high school, and got started capturing emotion and beauty from there. "God's creation is so fascinating, and I love that I get to share the beauty I find through my pictures," she says.Anna is a photographer for the new organization "Humans of Auburn," which is inspired by the ever-popular Humans of New York series. She loves finding and sharing the diverse stories that she finds in people throughout the Auburn and Opelika areas. Anna shoots mostly natural light portraits of children, families and individuals, her favorite model being her niece. She also dabbles in events and architecture photography. "Since so many of my pictures are of children, there is so much laughter and joy in my work," she says. Anna was recently featured by Instagram Alabama (@igalabama) for a photo she took in downtown Opelika. As sophomore in elementary education, Anna plans to continue doing what she's doing and seeing where her work takes her. Madding McFadden, Pursuit of Maddness Madding McFadden is the gal behind the lens of Lady K Blog, a growing fashion and inspiration blog based in Auburn. She expertly captures not only the LadyK persona, but has also expanded to doing photos for professional portfolios and even engagement shoots. Rather than tailoring her photography to an exact style, Madding focuses every shoot on capturing the personality and uniqueness of her models. "Every client is different," she says. "There is something to be said for the balance of my creative eye and their vision for the result. I love that part of the process." Madding is always looking for new places to shoot, new lighting to capture and fresh colors to feature. "Nothing about photography is a formula. There's no right or wrong way to do it, and I find that so refreshing."Madding furthered fueled her passion for photography over this past summer, which she spent studying and traveling in Europe. Her photography Instagram account, @pursuitofmaddness, was born before she left for her travels. She returned to the States with a full portfolio of travel shots, as well as the desire to continue capturing the world. Whatever she ends up doing with her supply chain management degree, she hopes to incorporate travel and photojournalism in her professional endeavors. "I never thought photography would be a possible future for me," she admits, "but the more I dive into it, the more I think I could never give it up." Sarah Partain, Sarah Partain PhotographyCompared to the rest, Sarah Partain is relatively new to the world of photography--but not for a lack of talent. She's taken an art classes in every year of school since starting elementary, and she first seriously picked up a camera during a photography elective in her junior year of high school. Photography came naturally to Sarah, and her business exploded when she got her camera for graduation last spring. Sarah loves being able to capture memories with her photos. She feels as though she views the world through a camera lens, weighing how environments and situations would translate through an image. "Photography can freeze a laugh or catch a dancer mid-air," Sarah says. "When you look back on the images, every emotion and thought felt in that moment floods back." She loves photographing dancers and athletes, and the challenge of capturing the beauty of their passion by freezing it in a frame. She also shoots senior portraits and family pictures. It never bores her--she describes her photography as alive. Ethan Gulley, Ethan Gulley PhotographyFrom what it looks and sounds like, Ethan Gulley is going big places, doing big things. He's a self-taught photographer originally from North Alabama, and is currently an industrial design major at Auburn. Ethan's love for photography started with disposable cameras at age six, and it's been growing ever since. It's difficult to categorize Ethan; he shoots a wide variety of subjects. Landscape, travel, weddings, fashion, portraits, live music, and sports, to name a few. According to him, traveling and the desire to document moments initially inspired his passion for the art. Now, he can be found with a camera in his hand almost everywhere he goes. And he goes. He travels as often as he can within the constraints of life as a student. He and a friend took a three-week road trip to California last May, stopping any and everywhere between Cali and home. Over Christmas break, he took a Greyhound bus to NYC and stayed with a friend in Brooklyn for a week. Photography has opened lots of doors for Ethan, both in his travels and here at Auburn. During his freshmanyear, he photographed for the Glomerata, and one of his photographs made it on the cover of that yearbook. He's taken photos next to some big name professional sports photographers on Auburn football sidelines. Last year, he got the opportunity to shoot with Willow Shields, the actress who plays Primrose Everdeen in the Hunger Games. He was recently comissioned to shoot behind the scenes photos on set of a movie being filmed in the Auburn area. "What inspires me? Everything," Ethan says. "I draw inspiration from my surroundings, which is a big part of why I love traveling so much." He's hoping to get flown across the country for a job someday soon. "It'd be cool to shoot for some big magazine, or get paid to take photos while I travel," he says. "I'd love to live in NYC or somewhere in California for a few months, but I'll go wherever my career takes me." Ethan has been published in a handful of small fashion magazines, and will featured in the March issue of Cake Magazine very shortly. Stefanie Sjostrom, Stefanie Sjostrom PhotographyFlashback to 11-year-old Stefanie Sjostrom shooting with her Nikon Cool Pix, then to her unwrapping her first DSLR camera at age 15. Seven years later, she's head-over-heels for the medium and has been challenging herself to grow creatively in the photography field ever since. "It's an incredible thing to see something you're so passionate about go from a hobby to a career," she says of her transition into professional work. Stefanie loves the whole process of photography: building relationships, connecting with the subject and telling a story, but she's especially fallen for the editing process. "One of my favorite things is creating art with my photos," she says. "To me, that's where I really become an artist. It allows me to take what I saw through the lens and bring it back to life in a whole new way."Stefanie's photos are truly a breath of fresh air. She specializes in senior portraits and is a huge fan of lifestyle and fine art photography, while also offering engagement and wedding packages. Her style incorporates simplicity with the grainy, crisp black and white, and muted tones of film. "I am a film photographer trapped with a digital camera, so through my editing process my images end up looking as close to film photography as possible," she explains. Though she is earning her degree in science, Stefanie has plans to enter the wedding industry full-time in May. Whether it be photography, coordinating, or working as a bridal consultant, she says she will always be photographing. "I can't imagine straying from that passion. It's part of me." Ashley Kickliter, Ashley Kickliter PhotographyAshley Kickliter shoots portraits. More specifically very colorful, creative, glamorous and not-to-mention impressive fashion, senior and engagement portraits. She has truly found her niche and built a fashion photography empire in Auburn. "My favorite thing about photography, since I love portraits, is changing a person's perspective on themselves," she says. "I live for the moment when people tell me my photos made them feel beautiful." She loves that her creative expression makes that much of an impact on people. She loves chasing beautiful light in her photos and keeping her photos candid, "truly capturing a person's true self and expression." Just last summer, she was shooting a wedding and was able to steal the bride and groom away for a little while after the ceremony. The sun was setting, and she got to capture such a pivotal moment in their love and lives. She considers it one of her most memorable experiences in photography; a "truly magical moment." Two summers ago, Ashley did a three-month photography internship at D+V Management in London. D+V is an agency that represents some of the "greats" among fashion photographers, makeup artists and stylists, and Ashley was able to assist on big photoshoots. Since then, she has been featured in The Plainsman, Chic Magazine and Dream Factory Magazine. In addition to fashion and photography, Ashley loves all things design. As a senior in graphic design, she sees herself working at a magazine or company that combines her three passions. "I want to be an art director for a brand or magazine since I love to work with so many creative outlets," she says. "Ideally, I want to work with photography, design, film and fashion every day."Join the Auburn Family! Enroll at Auburn.Please visit the Future Students page. Also, consider visiting Auburn for a Tour. We want you to join the Auburn Family … so Apply Now. See More