The roaring sound of rain surrounds the verdant park as the melodious laughter of a group of girls sneaks through the gaps of sound. Angelina Burrows (’25) tries to focus on the photos she wished to take when they first arrived at the park, but keeps getting distracted by the food and conversations of her friends around her. It is only when she looks back at the pictures from that day, that she notices the perfect photo that captured that moment with her friends.

Angelina’s interest for photography was piqued in her Intro to Journalism class in frosh year where she learned the basics of using the camera. From that first class, Angelina delved deeper into the topic in her first year of yearbook, when yearbook adviser Kevin Oliver joined her for his first year at the school. Oliver observes the excitement Angelina held for photography and the rest of the yearbook group.

“Angelina definitely loves photography and does a great job in being willing to cover lots of different types of events,” Oliver said. “She has high expectations for herself and can be her own harshest critic in certain cases. She is very committed to producing the best photos possible and you can see how rewarding that is when she gets great shots that we publish, which she does all the time because she is a strong photographer.”

Furthering her interest in the subject, she also took the Photography elective in her sophomore year. A step away from the informational photos in the yearbook, Angelina learned additional ways in which she could focus more on artistic photography and pouring her emotions into her work.  

“If I’m feeling overwhelmed by a test or with anything, then I go to photography as an outlet and try to use objects to express something in an unobstructed way if I can’t physically say it in words,” Angelina said. “This makes it easier for me to comprehend how I feel.”

Not only did photography help her understand her own feelings, but it also aided Angelina in grasping the varying intricacies of the people and groups around her. Where she originally saw the base level of other’s interactions, through her photos, she pulls focus to hidden metaphors and emotions.

“Photography reshaped the way I see certain things because it helps me see perspectives,” Angelina said. “There’s a lot of different perspectives and a lot of different emotions that people have, so I can be more attuned to how people feel after looking at a lot of pictures of people’s emotions and feelings.”

Now in AP 2-D Art & Design, Angelina tunnels much of her attention to her portfolio. In her pieces, she plays around with different lighting and blurring styles, highlighting the distinct feelings and actions that she centers her pictures around.

“My portfolio is supposed to capture the emotions and failures after the point you completely break down,” Angelina said. “It’s about how you overcome that feeling, so it’s the process of resilience and perseverance. It’s a sequence of photographs about the process of rebuilding and re-structuring yourself into a semblance of before.”

However, Angelina does not only fixate on the somber topic of her photographs, as her friends take the time to draw her out from both her work and her mind. They encourage her to step outside of the restrictions she places upon herself.

“My friends bring out the best in me,” Angelina said. “They’re always trying to push me to the limits. In some cases, they want me to be more social or speak up for myself more, so they always push me to break my limits. They support me a lot in that way.”

After meeting in journalism their frosh year, Angelina and Chayce Milheim (’25) have been close ever since. From helping each other with their spreads for yearbook or providing tips on photography, the two always find new ways to inspire each other.  

“How I approach the world has affected her a little bit in the way that I’m not super comfortable with stepping outside of my comfort zone, but a lot of times I tell myself, you only live once, you have to do it,” Chayce said. “Her brain is always so full of ideas and a lot of the time my role is just narrowing down those ideas for her.”

Close friend Sofie Marino (’25) has seen Angelina step out of her comfort and immerse into what she loves. She remembers how Angelina will go through great lengths to make sure her pictures fit exactly what she requires, even when it does not fit into what she would normally do. 

“Her dedication for what she cares about is super strong, because she will go to places at nine to take pictures of very few people and to get specific vibes,” Sofie said. “It shows her dedication as a photographer and how much she cares about her craft.”