It’s difficult to capture exactly what runs through a teenager’s head when they gaze out into nature, but for Amanda Powers, there’s more to the wilderness than just some trees and bushes. With her Nikon D3300 camera and passion for photography, she finds a way to make everything fall perfectly into place.

    Aside from her regular job at Hollister, Powers makes extra cash by taking photos for high school seniors. Her prices vary from 10 to 50 dollars. She said that it usually depends on how many places the person wants to go and the number of pictures they request.

    Although Powers has only been doing photography for a few months, she said that it has “really opened up [her] perspective on the world and helped [her] to view things with an open mind.” It first peaked her interest in her younger years, when she saw her dad taking photos and thought it was super cool.

“I like to capture close up elements in nature. That’s my favorite part because the subject doesn’t move so I have time to manually focus and adjust my settings until everything is exactly how I want it to be,” said Powers. She explained how using the focus on small things such as dew on leaves can make such a difference in the overall results of the photo; it captures the beauty.      

    “My favorite location is probably Elk Rock Garden because it’s absolutely gorgeous and not many people know about it,” Powers said. She elaborates on the location, saying that it’s very secluded which is nice because she can be alone doing what she loves.

    “I don’t want to pursue it as a full time career, but I definitely want it to be a part of my future,” Powers said. She sees photography as more of a hobby or side job in her life.

“What’s perfect to one person can be awful to another and that’s what makes it so subjective,” said Powers. Photography can make a difference in the life of anyone because as Powers said, there is something for everyone.