Photography students explore new horizons
Photos and writing by Patrick Cox
The SCAD Photography Department hosted a panel featuring six students discussing their experiences in finding, working and coming back to school after internships in 2019. The panel has an impressive list of talented students working for big-name companies.
Anna Robertson – Museé Magazine
Calvin Scott – Studio Platon, Mark Seliger, and Annie Leibovitz
Emerald Arguelles – NBC New York
Ethan Helow – Seal Rescue Ireland
Mary Grace Cladden – Fountain Street Gallery
Nicholas Schutte – Hilliard Art Museum
Most of the students had similar things to say and tips on how to be professional
to keep, and excel, in their positions. Every one of the other students and the professor monitors nodded their heads in unison as Robertson mentioned the skill she felt she improved most upon and is crucial to success: writing and forming professional emails. Each of the other students attributed writing to playing a part in their success in landing an internship or communicating with other staff members, their boss or bosses and people outside the respective companies.
While a lot of the professional tips and tricks were shared between experiences, Scott shared in one instance while on set, another intern arrived to work wearing bright purple pants and was immediately fired. He explained that it was an expectation that if you were not the one modeling or in charge, you wear all black. In his experience, there was not a lot of tolerance for someone out of line. However, Cladden, interning at Fountain Street Gallery, looking both surprised and a little shocked said that purple pants would be more than welcomed in her workplace.
The whole panel said these internships helped to highlight things they wanted and did not want in a job after school. More often than not, the internships exposed them to new opportunities they had not considered but enjoyed.
