It started as just a way to remember life. It soon turned into a hobby that will last a lifetime and help the world in need.  

Sophomore Rachael Pace uses photography as a way of relieving stress and gaining happiness.

“For as long as I can remember I’ve always wanted to document everything, so I would never forget it. Taking pictures is something that just makes me happy,” she said.

She continued, “I can go for a walk, just me my camera and music blasting in my ears, to lose myself for a while. It gets your mind off things when you can completely absorb yourself in something like that, that you love to do.” 

Pace enjoys taking photos that make people feel calm and serene.

“Through creating something beautiful, something with meaning, it helps me unwind from my crazy life,” she said.

Although Pace takes photos for self expression, she also does it to brighten the lives of those around her. She plans to use her photography as a way to help the extremely poor areas in Panama.

“I went there on a mission trip, we were building houses and helping out, but I also took some pictures,” she said.

She continued, “My dream is to go back to Panama and open a clinic for the island villages where there is no medical attention anywhere. When I get to do that, I can use [photography] to bring attention to the conditions that people only hear about.”

Pace hopes that these pictures will be the ones that people remember forever.

“I think of someone like Dorothea Lange who worked during the great depression. Not everyone knows her name, but they know her picture. People know this from the impact it had. That’s what I want to be known for, making a difference in the world, through something I love,” she said.

Pace also makes people’s day by creating art for gifts.

“For Christmas I took pictures of letters in like everyday things and made a name out of those,” she said.

Pace uses photography to brighten the lives of others. However, she believes that photography provides another vital aspect of life: self expression.

She said, “Self expression is everything. It defines who you are, who you become. Imagine a world without it. We would be blank, expressionless. Everything would be boring and static.”