May 4, 2012
By MIRANDA JADE PARMAN | Public Relations Director
KT THOMPSON, vice president of the Photography Club and a soon-to-be Amarillo College graduate, has some splashy plans for her post-cap-tossing adventures.
“My ultimate goal is to be an underwater photographer and to live in Hawaii,” Thompson said.
Thompson does not simply wish to move out to Hawaii but wants to gain experience through working for a larger entity and establishing her name.
“There’s a Disney resort there, and that’s kind of what I’m looking for: to work for somebody, get a little more experience, become a better photographer,” she said.
“She’s the first one I’ve met that wants to do something different than everybody else,” said Travis Lindow, a photography major.
Thompson said underwater photography essentially is the same as normal photography, but she will need a scuba diving certificate before she can pursue that career.
In her last year at AC, the Photo Club has been busier and more full than it had been in the past several years.
“We’ve basically brought it back,” Thompson said.
The Photo Club appears to be a tight group.
Anthony Nations, Photo Club president, said he is Thompson’s partner in crime.
“She’s considered my sidekick,” Nations said. “KT and I have been together for three years as students. Everything the Photo Club shoots, we’ve shot together. We’re photo buddies.”
The club spent spring break together in Angel Fire, N.M., at a cabin owned by Rachelle Burg, a former AC student.
“We just went up there and just took pictures,” Thompson said. “We walked around downtown and went over to Red River. You know, had fun.”
The Photo Club has taken pictures of other AC club functions and helped professors and instructors with projects.
The club hosted a pinhole photography workshop Sunday in honor of Worldwide Pinhole Day.
The AC community was invited to work with photography students to learn about and create their own pinhole photography, Thompson said.
The Photo Club also shoots photos at AC events such as Badgerama and Spring Fling. The club set up booths at both events to shoot students’ portraits.
“We took photos. We had our little setup and let them take their photos,” Thompson said. “We just messed around.”
Also last month, the club hosted Blue Mitchell, a celebrated photographer.
“He’s pretty awesome,” Thompson said. “We got to spend a lot of time with him. He showed us a new way of exposing photos.”
Thompson and the rest of the Photo Club go to San Jacinto Elementary School every other Friday to work with San Jacinto students.
“We get to share our art with the kids,” Nations said. “We get to see them take joy in learning what we already know.”
The president, vice president, treasurer and secretary of the Photo Club all are graduating this semester.
“There will be people stepping up to the plate,” Thompson.
As San Jacinto students continue to learn with future Photoy Club members, Thompson hopes to be out in a world that is 83 percent water, snapping photos in the deep blue.
Leave a Reply