Get Close, Hold Steady, and….CLICK!

How do you look at the world? Our next Artist of the Month, Riley, wants you to look at life from a new perspective (just in time for the New Year!).

This nine-year-old’s style of photography evolved from adventure; Riley and her mom would go on “photo safaris” in the hospital to practice the skills she learned in her Pablove Shutterbugs class each week. As she studied the hallways and how the fluorescent lights hit the waxed floors, Riley began to see the hospital in a brand new way.

Now, Riley takes photos to show you the world from a point of view that is different than your average every-day image – full of close-up shots from above and below that capture the details one usually doesn’t notice. Riley wants to open your eyes so that you can approach the world in a fresh and interesting way. Ready for an adventure? Let’s dive into her photos!

“Giant Looking Down”

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s…Riley! Riley snapped this photo from below a leaf to capture a worm’s eye view perspective at the Mexican American Culture Center in Austin. She used the flash to illuminate the leaf in order to show the network of dark green veins and the slight brown decay on this living subject.

“Mirror Mirror On the Wall”

While wandering around an art museum, it wasn’t one of the exhibits that caught Riley’s eye that resulted in this stellar image. So how did she capture with this array of different hues of gray? Riley explained, “I put my camera against the wall looking up.” The uneven texture combined with the wall’s reflective properties and Riley’s unique perspective gave way to a fascinating photo.

“You Smell Good”

Look at that ‘stache – what a beauty! Riley divulged how she captured the up-close, perfect hairstyle of her family dog, Indy. “She was sleeping, so I kind of smoothed out her fur first.” In order for Riley to get the perfect shot, she said, “I used the ground to support the camera so it wasn’t blurry.” It’s no wonder that this is such a crisp, clear shot.

 

“Crawling Up”

Per usual, Riley skillfully used a solid surface to balance her camera while shooting this next photo. She stood flat against the tree to give you the perspective of an ant who is crawling up the trunk. What was her reasoning for using the flash? “If it was plain dark, it wouldn’t look as good.” Wow, Riley, we are blown away by your technique.  

Riley digs owning her own camera and continues to take photos daily. When asked what she thought about the idea of people purchasing her print, Riley stated, “I would be honored for them to buy my photo.” When she is not capturing new perspectives through photography, she loves to spend time with her family playing basketball and trying to beat her dad at chess.

Riley is currently finishing up her first year of chemotherapy for Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and is doing well.

 

1 Comment

  • I love your cool way of looking at things Riley! It inspires me to look at things in a new way as well… Keep up the good work – lets go on a photo safari together next time I’m in Austin! I love you! – Aunt Kammie

    by Kammie James on December 21, 2017

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