Hello, my name is Nicole, and I am a senior global supply chain management major with minors in project management and law studies. I currently work as a Marketing Intern and Blogger here at Clarkson University. I sat down with a student photographer here at Clarkson who has done some amazing work around Downtown Potsdam and for the campus. She talks about how she got into photography, some of her favorite places to shoot downtown and the resources available for students interested in getting started in photography.
Hi Jada, can you tell us a little about yourself?
Hello, my name is Jada Flanagan and I am from Russell, New York. I am currently a Junior, double major in Innovation Entrepreneurship and Communications with minors in New Product Development and Marketing. In my spare time I like to travel and do photography. I started photography just about a year ago, because I was going to go on Study Abroad to Edinburgh, which is the capital of Scotland. I really wanted to learn how to use a camera to document my amazing time there.
What are some of your favorite photography spots in Potsdam so far?
There’s a lot to be seen and done Downtown. Some of my favorites would have to be behind the Cactus Grill and Cantina, there is a nice little pathway down toward the water where you can see the bridge. A staple photography spot in town are the two mural walls that are near Park Bro’s, Park Bro’s itself is actually really cute to shoot in as well. Ives Park is also really nice, and the surrounding area with Gazebo and the Raquette River. The church and the bridge that also go over the river. The school itself is also very beautiful, with some hidden spots. I enjoy doing very non-traditional photography as well so I’ve done a shoot behind the Health Center on campus. There is an abundance of brick walls all over campus which always makes for a nice background. The different Alleyways all over downtown, especially the ones behinds the Isle of You with the leaves covering it is really nice and has an urban feel to it. Other areas to achieve that urban feel are all the fire escapes behind businesses and apartment in town.
You did a photo series on some of the places to eat around town. Can you tell me more about that? What was your inspiration?
It was a commercially driven shoot. I wanted to play with color because I saw something on Instagram with fruits and people wearing different colored outfits. I thought that it would be really cool to do in my own way. We all know Potsdam has some amazing and iconic places to eat so I wanted to do something centered around that. It turned out to be really fun, and a project I really enjoyed.
Do you have any advice for incoming freshmen and current students on how to get into photography in Potsdam?
Definitely join photography club! I am a current member and it’s a small community but very useful. There are a lot of opportunities to get involved and do photography on campus because not a lot of people do it around here. There are a lot of Faculty members, one of them being John Herrick, a new professor here who is an amazing photographer and an even better resource to answer questions and give advice. As well as Steve Jacobs, Clarkson’s main photographer who I am actually interning for right now. He assigns events for me to shoot on campus for the University and also acts as my mentor. The Communications and Media Department has a lot of actual cameras to loan out, so if you ever want to learn how to use cameras you can go to the Communications Department. But mainly I’d highly recommend joining photography club.
Is photography club for actual photographers or can people interested in getting to know about photography welcomed?
People who want to learn about Photography can definitely join! We welcome all students of different skill levels to join the club.
What other activities does the photography club do?
We partner with other clubs like Dance Ensemble to shoot their recitals. We also partner with Fashion Club to shoot their annual fashion show and use their models for our shoots. We do weekly themes that encourage us to do different types of photography, not just what we specialize in. Every week there’s a different category to explore and practice in, last week it was Saturations so you could do anything with color. We’ve had themes like Fall, People, Landscapes, and many more to really broaden our knowledge in the field. People in the club vote on the picture of the week and it is broadcasted on the TVs around campus. Members also give very intuitive constructive criticism to help better your skills in photography.
Well thank you for sitting down with me, if people want to see more of your work where can they find you?
I have an instagram page @photosbyjadaaa where I post a lot of my work, thank you for having me.
Potsdam has been compared to Versailles. View photos of its scenic palaces and other attractions to find out why. The three-story façade had already begun to rise around unfinished interiors, as construction had steadily been underway.