Irtana Deslouches has the creative flair that being a great photographer demands. The Huntington High School senior has gained in knowledge and confidence and evolved into a true artist. Her photographic images speak for themselves. They are a thing of beauty and intrigue.
Huntington senior Irtana Deslouches.
Ms. Deslouches won five Best in Show Awards at this year’s Long Island Media Arts Show at Five Towns College in Dix Hills. She earned honorable mention recognition in the Huntington Camera Club’s annual competition and one of her images is currently on display at the Huntington Arts Council’s High Arts Showcase XV at the Main Street Gallery.
Photography teacher Pam Piffard-Williams on Irtana Deslouches . . .
“Irtana came into this school year unsure of what she would do for her Advanced Placement Photograph project. She started with studio portraits and as she worked, she dabbled with various editing techniques. One day I walked over to her computer and she had one of these broken portraits up on the screen. When I asked her ‘what is that?’ She replied that she was ‘just playing around.’ What started out as just ‘playing around’ turned into the most beautiful series of images. Her work is unique, has a true sense of style and has people in awe. I’m so proud of Irtana and all her hard work. Most importantly I believe she is proud of herself, too.”
Questions and Answers with Irtana Deslouches
Q: How old are you and what grade are you in?
Irtana Deslouches: “I am 18 years old and I am in twelfth grade.”
Q: How did you first get interested in photography?
Irtana Deslouches: “It was my father who got me interested in photography. He loves art and photography is one of his many passions that he stuck with. He started teaching me and I developed an interest in it. He took me to events with him where he would take pictures professionally and he would let me participate in taking pictures with him. He even gave me a job as an assistant photographer and I got to use his advanced digital camera when I was just in middle school. I wanted to explore this type of art more and decided to take the class since I was given the chance.”
Q: Where do you get your ideas?
Irtana Deslouches: “My ideas can change from time to time, so it can be hard to stay consistent. I always want to learn new ways to edit photography and to be able to improve upon my skills in shooting. Once I am taught something new, I explore it and experiment with it until I can find a style that fits me and that I find comfortable. In a way, it’s a cycle filled with discovery and experiments.”
Q: Is there any specific type of photography you like best?
Irtana Deslouches: “I prefer digital due to how much control I have in changing the picture. I can add more light or take hundreds of pictures if I want to. Digital photography gives me more freedom to do what I want with the pictures. It gives me a chance to make it my own.”
Q: How has the Huntington photography program helped you with your love of photography?
Irtana Deslouches: “The Huntington photography program has helped me improve both my shooting skills and editing skills in Photoshop. With the new lessons that Mrs. Piffard-Williams assigns, it lets me navigate different parts of photography that I never knew existed. When you look at a picture, you tend to wonder how it came to be. How something that looks impossible to put together can be made and look good at the same time. It makes you wonder what was done to get an image like this. In the photography program, my questions and curiosity can get answered and I learn how to do it as well. It lets me see the different side of photography of how it gets made and how much work can get put into it.”
Q: Do you plan to continue with photography or go to school for it?
Irtana Deslouches: “I do want to continue with photography in college and minor in it. I am not completely sure if I would like that to be my career, but I do want to continue doing it whether it be for a career or for leisure. I am still unsure of what I want to do with my life and what type of career I will pursue, but what I do know is that once I leave high school, I would be open to learning new things to improve my character and to learn new skills that will advance me further in life and I would still include art into my life because it is a passion of mine that I grew up with. It was something that stayed with me and made me calm and happy as a kid.”
Q: What has been your experience in the Huntington High School art program?
Irtana Deslouches: “Once I entered high school, I got more involved with art. I took studio art in freshman year with Ms. [Jane] Judson, whom I have grown close with. I took photography from Introduction to Advanced Placement and I finally got to complete my senior year in drawing and painting with Mrs. [Kristin] Singer. I also got to join Art Honor Society, which helped me use my skills in art to help others, which is something I truly enjoy. I love helping people and the fact that I got to do that while doing something I love was truly a wonderful experience for me.”
