Spotlight on Huntington Photographer Alyssa Crawley
Alyssa Crawley is starting to win rave reviews for her dazzling and sometimes hauntingly appealing photos. The Huntington High School senior continues to explore new techniques and methods, growing in her knowledge and refining her skills along the way.
The teenager’s stunningly beautiful work hasn’t just materialized out of thin air. It’s the product of long hours of effort, studying the ins and outs of her camera, lenses and lighting, sometimes working with a model, often toiling indoors but frequently outside in the elements.
Ms. Crawley is well on her way to mastering the high school’s photography curriculum. Now she’s also a student-intern in the program, working alongside teacher Pam Piffard. The mentoring relationship is proving to be invaluable and she continues her ascent.
“Alyssa is a phenomenal person. She is an absolute gift to have as an intern in the advanced photo class. Her peers look to her for help and advice. I feel privileged to watch her grow as an artist and am inspired by her enthusiasm. Alyssa will be receiving a Pride Award this week for all her hard work.”
- Photography teacher Pam Piffard on Alyssa Crawley
Questions and Answers with Alyssa Crawley
Q: How old are you and what grade are you in?
Alyssa: I’m a senior and I am 17 years old.
Q: How did you first get interested in photography?
Alyssa: I’m not exactly sure when or how I became interested in photography. I’ve loved it ever since I was super little. I remember thinking how cool my parent’s old photos and cameras were and playing with them all the time. I would try to steal my dad’s camera and go outside and take pictures of flowers and stuff. They never really came out too good, but I loved doing it!
Q: Where do you get your ideas?
Alyssa: I get a lot of my ideas from music and movies and other art. But sometimes they just pop up out of nowhere. I always try to write them down or draw them out, but it usually looks a lot better in my head, so a lot of times when I come up with an idea it’s one of the only things I can focus on.
Q: Is there any specific type of photography you like best?
Alyssa: I go through phases of which types of photography I like the best. Recently I’ve been obsessing over HDR imaging, which is when three pictures of different exposures are blended together. It really looks awesome and it’s so much fun to do.
Q: How has the Huntington photography program helped you with your love of photography?
Alyssa: The photography program in Huntington is really great. It’s helped me so much and taught me everything I know. Intro to Photo teaches all the fundamentals of photography and how to work in the darkroom, which I think is one of the most awesome and satisfying things. Then Advanced Photography taught me so much about digital photography as well as editing and different really amazing techniques. This year I’m an intern for an Advanced Photo class with Ms. Piffard, which I absolutely love. I’m also taking AP 2D with Ms. [Kasmira] Mohanty, who’s teaching us about so many different artists and mediums. I think that the biggest reason the photography program is so great is because of the teachers. Ms. Piffard and Ms. Mohanty are so talented and knowledgeable and have helped me become a better photographer than I ever thought I could be.
Q: Do you plan to continue with photography or go to school for it?
Alyssa: I’m not sure what I’m going to go to school for. It could be photography, it could be English or zoology or to become an astronaut or a musician or whatever. But photography is such a huge and important part of my life there’s absolutely no doubt I will continue doing it.
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