As stated by famous photographer Ansel Adams, photography is made rather than just a picture taken .One student who always captures a landscape’s essence is Cameron McCleskey. The third year photography student in 11th grade has created work admired by many, including her AP photography teacher Allen Beland. Beland has been teaching photography at Yorktown for fifteen years and is one of school’s finest teachers in the art department.

He described McCleskey as a “…very intuitive photographer. She has a real eye for composition and it is innate, not necessarily something you can teach…You know when you see her images, that that is it. That is the best that particular location can be rendered in a photograph.”

McCleskey won artist of the month through a picture she took of a carnival in her vacation spot in Italy. Despite having an often occupied schedule, she finds time to capture impeccable images.

Q: Why did you first become interested in photography?

A: It was always just something I wanted to do. I saw other people’s photos and I just thought it’d be fun to do.

Q: What is your favorite type of artwork that you take?

A: I think because I travel a lot, the ones I take from the places I go are my favorite.

Q: What is the most challenging part of being a photographer?

A: I think it is going out to go take photos because I usually have a busy schedule so it is hard to make time to go out to just take photos.

Q: What else do you do other than photography?

A: I do club volleyball and that takes up most of my time, especially on the weekends.

Q: In that case, do you take pictures during the week or the weekend?

A: Both. If I don’t have a tournament for volleyball, I’ll go out and take photos.

Q: What has been the most challenging project you’ve had in photography?

A: Well for Beland’s class, we have to have a theme so we have to have a hundred pictures each quarter. My theme is animals and it’s hard, especially because it’s cold now, to go out and find animals to take pictures of.

Q: How has the Yorktown Art Department, like Beland, shaped the photographer you are today?

A: He [Beland] has definitely pushed me to go out and take photos, just to expand my view of what to take photos of and how to take better photos.

Q: What is your favorite photo that you’ve ever shot?

A: Probably the one I submitted for artist of the month. It was a carnival I took in Italy.

Q: What is the biggest reward you’ve received from being a photographer?

A: Probably winning artist of the month this year.

Q: Do you have any plans for the future regarding art? Such as art school?

A: I don’t think so. It is just a fun hobby.