CAPTURING PASSION: The Next Generation of Photographers

There’s something magical about seeing life through a camera lens — the way a single photograph can freeze a moment, tell a story, or capture a feeling words can’t describe. For several of the girls on the Teen Team, that magic has become a passion. Some have already started building their photography skills, while others are just beginning to dream about it.

From Friday night lights to livestock shows, each of these girls is finding her own reason to step behind the camera — and her own way to see the world through the lens.

Kristen Dillon: From Digital Cameras to the Track Field

For Kristen Dillon, photography began with a little pink digital camera and a few football games. “I started photography by bringing a digital camera to football games to take pictures with my friends,” she said. What started as a way to make memories quickly turned into something more.

“I started going to basketball games to take pictures of the players and they didn’t look great,” Kristen said, laughing. “So I started using my mom’s nice digital camera to take pictures and I loved it and moved on to other sports.”

That new curiosity led to something even bigger. “Eventually I asked to do a media day for my track team,” she explained. “I ended up making meet day graphics with those pictures, which led me to loving photography even more.”

Soon after, Kristen created her own instagram photography account, Krissy.lenss, and began sharing her photos online. “I took pictures of my friends and got them to tag it so that I would get some followers,” she said. It wasn’t long before she started to see her work — and confidence — grow.

Kristen’s favorite moments to capture are the ones filled with energy and emotion. “I like to photograph sports and capture the excitement in games,” she said. “I love when I get the picture of everybody celebrating with their friends.” For her, the joy is in catching the moments that people will remember long after the game ends.

Kristen has recently taken a part time position assisting and shadowing Davinda on some recent senior and family shoots to explore other areas of photography. We hope she’s loving the experience as much as we love having her along on shoots.

Kyleigh Smith: Finding Joy Through the Lens

For Kyleigh Smith, photography has been a growing love — one that started in the stands at her brother’s baseball games. “I started photography with my mom’s old camera that she didn’t use,” she said. “I started taking photos at my brother’s baseball games then realized I really enjoy photography.”

After two years of learning and experimenting with that first camera — a Nikon D3300 — Kyleigh upgraded her equipment and began exploring new creative directions. “We upgraded my camera and I fell in love with it even more,” she said. “I started exploring more sports to take photos of, and the more photos I take, the more I love it.”

Her instagram photography account, k.smithphotography14 became her creative outlet and portfolio. “I started my social media about two years ago,” she said. “Then I started to add my friends, and after that, I would add people I had mutual friends with.”

When it comes to editing, Kyleigh has found her rhythm. “I edit my photos with a preset, then if I need to adjust anything, I do that individually,” she said. Looking back, she admits there’s one thing she wishes she knew earlier — “what each control meant.”

For Kyleigh, photography is about more than just taking pictures — it’s about people, moments, and emotion. “I want to photograph people and sports,” she said. “I want to show friendships and their journeys throughout their years.”

Paisley Nader: From the Stands to the Sidelines

For Paisley Nader, photography started unexpectedly — from a seat in the bleachers. “I started photography in 2022 when I went with my dad to a Waterloo boys basketball game to watch a family member perform at halftime,” she said. “I saw his camera sitting there and asked if I could take some pictures, and he let me.”

From that moment on, something clicked. “Ever since then I’ve gone with him whenever I could (which is like 90% of the time) to be his photographer,” she said with a smile.

At first, Paisley was just shooting for fun. “To start photography, I was just using my dad’s Lumix camera,” she explained. “But last fall I created an Instagram account to share my pictures.” Her love for sharing her work grew quickly. “At the start of this fall, I made a Pixieset website to further share my photos and to share about myself,” she said. “Now at the games I go to, I put all the photos into a gallery and post the link so people can download them.”

Recently, Paisley upgraded her gear to a Canon R100 — a big step forward for her growing passion. “The quality is a lot better,” she said, “but I do miss the zoom power on my Lumix. As I progress, I plan on buying better lenses.”

Sports have always been her favorite subject. “I’ve only ever photographed sports and I’ve really liked it, so I would like to continue doing sports,” she said. The energy, movement, and emotion of the games keep her inspired.

Her biggest teacher has been experience. “If you go back on the Portage Sports website to find that Waterloo basketball game and look at my most recent photos, (paisleynaderphotography) you can see how much I’ve progressed,” she said. “Looking at other photographers’ pictures also helped a lot too.”

Of course, not every photo turns out perfectly — and Paisley has learned to take that in stride. “When a photo doesn’t turn out the way I imagined, I do get a little frustrated if it’s blurry but it was a really good play,” she said. “But I usually keep it to see if I can fix it, and if I can’t, I just move on and look at the other pictures.”

Her advice for anyone just getting started is full of confidence and encouragement: “POST EVERYTHING! No. matter. what. You won’t get anywhere if you don’t. It will only make you better.”

As for inspiration, Paisley looks up to one photographer in particular. “My favorite photographer has to be Chris Gressman,” she said. “I always look at his photos for inspiration — even if it’s not my style. And he’s literally so nice.”

Paisley’s story shows how passion can grow from a single moment — and how, with practice and persistence, it can turn into something truly special.

Reyna Ripley: Capturing Moments with Friends

Sometimes, creativity grows from the people around us. For Reyna Ripley, her interest in photography began because of Kristen. “Kristen was probably my biggest influence in photography,” she said. “Every football and basketball game she always brought her little digital pink camera and we’d take pictures.”

When Kristen started photographing football games more seriously, Reyna joined her. “I offered to go with her on the track so she wouldn’t have to sit alone,” she said.

While Reyna doesn’t plan to make photography her career, she still sees it as something meaningful. “I see photography more as a fun thing to do with friends,” she explained. “It doesn’t really align with my future plans, but I’m interested in learning more about it as a hobby.”

For her, it’s about connection — sharing moments with friends, learning something new, and finding the joy in the process. We already know she’s learning her way around on the other side of the lens being on our modeling team.

Grace Moulton: Looking Ahead to New Beginnings

Grace Moulton is just starting to step into the world of photography, but her excitement is already shining through. She said. “I was waiting until Christmas to get stuff hopefully! And I think I’ll need a camera and lens.”

She already has ideas for what she wants to capture. “I want to photograph people and animals — like at fairs or livestock shows — and sports to show fun memories and friendships,” she said.

Grace’s enthusiasm shows that sometimes the best journeys start with curiosity. She’s ready to learn, experiment, and find her creative spark — and she’s not afraid to dream big about where photography could take her.

Taylor Wadsworth: Learning, Shadowing, and Growing

For Taylor Wadsworth, the interest in photography started with the excitement she saw behind the camera. “What peaked my interest in photography was seeing how much fun the photographers have!” she said. “I love getting my pictures done and I think it would be fun to take pictures of other people. It is definitely something I want to learn more about.”

Taylor has already begun learning hands-on, shadowing photographer Danielle Whitted. “I am learning from Danielle,” she said proudly. “I have started shadowing her in the show ring!”

Her goals are clear — and they blend her love for livestock and photography. “In the future, I want to be taking livestock pictures at jackpot shows and bigger shows or taking sale pictures for people,” she said.

Taylor’s passion reflects something that all the Teen Team photographers share — a mix of curiosity, confidence, and community. She’s not just learning how to take pictures; she’s learning how to tell stories that matter to her.

The Mentor Behind the Lens: Davinda’s Story

Every great photographer starts somewhere, and for Davinda, the creative mind behind Capture Life Photography, it all began with her own memories. “I fell in love with photography through my own memories,” she said. “I’ve always been the memory keeper for my family, and as I was preserving those moments, I wanted the photos to match how special they felt.”

Like many photographers, she started out self-taught. “I was taking photos for myself, and then friends and family started asking me to take pictures for them,” she said. “Before long, people I didn’t even know were inquiring about my photography and asking to hire me. A big fear of imposter syndrome told me that if I was going to start charging people, I needed to make sure I was doing things the right way.”

She began taking classes and learning from others — something she still does today. “I don’t think you should ever stop learning in this industry,” she shared. “Any chance I get to learn something new or learn from someone else, I take it.”

Her biggest inspiration isn’t a location or a prop — it’s people. “My biggest inspiration is always the person in front of my camera,” she said. “I aim to showcase their individuality and personality. I don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach — my goal is for every image to feel true to the person I’m capturing.”

When it comes to her shooting and editing style she believes in using light and color to enhance her photography. “I make sure my images are always well lit and I love color,” she explained. “Finding your editing style is always an evolving process but for me, keeping the authentic, beautiful colors that bring my images to life will always be at the heart of my work.”

Her favorite subjects? “A girl in a big dress in a flower field — hands down,” she said. “It just feels like the purest expression of girlhood. Getting to bring that vision to life is truly magical.”

Her advice to anyone just starting out — like the Teen Team girls — is simple but powerful. “Just start shooting,” she said. “Find your passion — you might be drawn to one thing in particular, or maybe you love it all. The key is to just start. Use whatever gear or resources you have available. We all start with training wheels on our bikes, right? Building a portfolio is the same — you learn, grow, and refine your style as you go.”

And for those afraid to put their work out into the world? “Just do it,” she said. “You’re putting your work out there for yourself — to grow, to learn, and to chase your dreams. Sure, there will people who may criticize your work or those that just don’t get your style — let them. There will are also people who will genuinely love your work, your style, and YOU.”

Her perspective reminds every young photographer that the best images come from authenticity, passion, and heart. “Every single shoot has thrown me a curveball at some point,” she added. “But the best images happen when you go with the flow, keep it authentic, and have fun.”

Looking Through the Future Lens

Whether it’s Kristen on the sidelines, Kyleigh behind the fence at a baseball field, Paisley shooting for Portage Sports, Taylor in the show ring, or Grace waiting for her first camera — each of these girls is seeing the world through new eyes.

With Davinda’s encouragement and their shared love for creativity, the future of the Teen Team behind the lens looks bright — filled with laughter, learning, and the stories waiting to be told.