Hannah Hill, a freshman here at Search High School, has one very interesting hobby.

 

Hannah, amazed by a photo she had found on Flickr, a popular website photographers use to share their creations with one another, took up the hobby. The topic of the photo was simple: the photograph responsible had pulled two random people aside and asked them to pose together for a picture.

 

“As I [looked at these photos on Flickr], I started tearing up.” said Hannah. “They were beautiful, intimate portraits of two people who had never met before and would probably never meet again.”

 

Taking a cue from the photo that started it all, Hannah prefers to photograph people.

“I do a style of photography called conceptual, which basically means that I put emotion and a story into my pictures.” explained Hannah. “People convey that more than, say, an old barn.”

 

Hannah strives to find beauty in the unusual.

 

“I love people who aren’t your typical beauty,” said Hannah. “They’re so much more interesting. I like to think that I’m the kind of people that sees beauty in everything, especially the broken.”

 

Hannah strives to break from the mold.

 

“None of my models smile,” said Hannah. “I want people to see the emotion in everything else. I don’t want it to be obvious.”

 

Hannah values content over technique.

 

“I can’t stand it when I see a stunning photograph, but I have no connection to it.” said Hannah.

 

 

An unknown artist might as well not exist at all, and Hannah understands this well.

 

“I have an Instagram, @TheGrayPeople,” explains Hannah. “I’m also working on a website, and I hand out business cards.”

 

However, while Hannah’s art may be known, Hannah struggles to make herself known as well.

 

“The one thing I hate about photography or art or writing is that people fall in love with your work, but they don’t know you.” said Hannah. “We (the artists) are behind the camera. We’re not seen, and it isn’t out memories or our eyes that people connect to.”

 

Hannah sees art as changing rapidly in today’s society.

 

“Our generation is radically changing,” says Hannah. “We’re much more liberal than any before us and, sadly, many adults are seeming to relate it to religion.”

 

 

“Many people my age are looking for beauty in anything and everything,” explained Hannah. “For example, skin. I lock bare-back photos and things of the sort, but many others and adults tend to over sexualize skin. That, like many other things, are holding art back.”

 

Hannah shared her frustration at the situation.

 

“Sadly, there’s nothing we can do about that now,” said Hannah. “But, hopefully, when we are the adults and the leaders, we can give it a chance.”