The “Photographer of the Week” series is dedicated to highlighting photographers within the SCAD community that demonstrate unique abilities behind the lens. This week, Ava Rushford, a second-year photography student, shares her recent project and personal insight
- When did you start your photography journey and what does photography mean to you?
I started my photography journey when I got my first camera, a Canon EOS Rebel T5, when I was 12 years old. For a long time, I stuck to landscape photography, and as the years passed I decided it would be interesting to try and shoot portraits. I’ve always been a really creative person and wanted to bring that creativity into my photography. After working with digital for some time, I was gifted two film cameras that used to be my grandma’s. I immediately started working with film and even took it a step further and learned how to process and develop my negatives at home. Film is what really got me to my photo style now. I used to be quite the perfectionist, and after working with film, I realized it doesn’t always have to be perfect; in fact, sometimes it’s better when it isn’t perfect. Photography isn’t just taking a picture; it’s creating a feeling within a photo and the process behind it. Photography has been a creative outlet for me for as long as I can remember now.
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2. Where do you attain your inspiration for your work?
Some of my inspiration comes from photographers such as Joel Meyerowitz and Daniel Chaney. However, I am also often inspired by places I’ve been. Recently, I was inspired by SCAD’s colorful bathrooms to start my current project.
3. What is your creative process like per shoot?
My creative process per shoot starts with preparing my equipment and charging my camera battery. I also always make sure my sd card is in my camera. Once I’m at the shoot, I am very “go with the flow” and just love to use the environment to my advantage and try out everything possible.
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4. What impact do you want to have on the industry?
I’ve never really thought about what impact I want to have on the industry, but my main objective is to create images I love and hope that they inspire other people to do the same.
5. What project are you currently working on?
I am currently working on a project where I have people model in different bathrooms. I’ve really enjoyed the images I’ve created so far and it’s interesting how creative you can be no matter what your environment is.
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6. Is there any advice you’d like to leave to other aspiring photographers or SCAD students?
I think a big thing to remember is that it isn’t about how fancy your equipment is. I started with an inexpensive camera and used it for 6 years. It wasn’t until recently when I really decided that this is what I want to do in the future, that I upgraded to a nicer camera. Lastly, create what you love and what feels right to you.
To see more of Rushford’s work, visit her Instagram and website.
