Flipping through her portfolio, Claudia Ramirez, photography major, outlines one of her photos with her finger and explains what it represents.
“In this image, I truly believe you see into the subject’s soul and spirit, in this case my mother’s, in an unexpected way,” Ramirez said.
Growing up in a home where art and photography were abundant, Ramirez knew she had interest in photography but although it was something she wanted to pursue, some of life’s obstacles kept her away from attempting it.
“As you get older, you have to do the practical things, so I got my bachelor’s degree first in liberal studies to be a teacher,” Ramirez said. “Once I finished that, then I decided to focus on my creative side.”
Finding the time and her passion for photography rising, Ramirez decided it was time to pursue it and is currently developing her skills on campus.
“She is one of the most gifted students I have seen in my many years of teaching,” Darilyn Rowan, photography professor said. “I consider myself extremely lucky to have such a gifted student in my personal and creative life.”
Describing her photography as unique, Ramirez incorporates her poetry with her photos as well as music that inspires her.
“I like a lot of contrast, shadows, the inspirations for my photography come from different motions and people,” Ramirez said. “It actually can be a moment also, I’ll be sitting there and ill see the picture and say to myself, oh I have to take that!”
Although Ramirez said she enjoys the process of photography, there are some aspects of it she still has to get used to.
“You put your work out there and I think it’s one of the hardest things for any artist because then you leave it to the interpretation of other people.” Ramirez said. “I try not to imitate anybody, my photography is a little weird but I like to put my ideas in different ways and if I’ve seen it before, I don’t do it, I like to be original.”
As for the future, Ramirez hopes to participate in more shows where she can promote some of her work while earning her associate’s degree.
She also hopes to someday become a photography professor.
“I’m a teacher now and incorporating that with my interest in photography would be great,” Ramirez said. “It’s a mixture of both for me.”
Besides taking photography on campus, Ramirez is a mentor for other photography students who are recently entering into photography.
“I enjoy helping others because I was where they were when I started and I want them to know it’s okay if you make mistakes its part of learning and I enjoy being able to help others, its very rewarding,” Ramirez said.
“I love what I do, it connects me not only with myself but with other people,” Ramirez said. “You’re putting your internal emotions and ideas and I am showing this side of me that I normally don’t let others see.”