With over 41,000 students at the University of South Florida and the students talents ranging from Comedy, Athletics, Music, and Art, I have recently discovered five talented photographers. Ana Massard, Alexandria Salmieri, Cierra Craft, Devin Burke and Elizabeth Stafford are keeping it real here at USF when it comes to their skills in photography. With their majors ranging from Psychology to Mass Communication, this diverse group of students takes great pride in their work.
Ana Massard
Ana Massard is a sophomore studying BFA in Studio Art (photography). Massard started photography because she didn't "have the patience to wait for paint to dry or the patience to sit there and draw every single detail in the human eye." While she "still loves drawing and painting and other forms of art, it's definitely not for [her].” Massard, like many others, bought her first camera just to take on vacation while visiting New York (in early 2011) to take pictures of her trip, but soon after that she realized her passion for the art and continued it ever since.
Massard specializes in wedding, concert/music photography and fashion editorials. Massard says she does not have a favorite photo, although the one pictured above is one that is “my favorite lately.” You can find more of Ana Massard’s photography on her website here , her Facebook page here or you can follow her on Instagram at @anamassardphoto.
Alexandria Salmieri
Alexandria Salmieri, 23, is a first year Graduate Student majoring in Art History. Salmieri explains how she got her start in photography saying, “I have always been a fan of photography, my first camera was one of those Barbie Polaroids, and I took that thing everywhere! Although, it wasn’t until I started college and purchased my first DSLR that I became serious about photography.”
Salmieri explains that she is influenced by Chuck Lang a contemporary photographer due to his articulation of light, composition and “emotive posing of his images evoke an unparalleled intimacy that is peaceful yet strange.” Like many others, Salmieri dreams of pursuing a career in photography, although she does, of course, have a backup plan with her Art History degree, where she absorbs as much information – especially pertaining to photography – as she can.
Salmieri specializes in portraits, she often works with senior portraits, headshots, and other individual shots. Salmieri’s favorite photo that she has taken is one of her friend Debbie. Salmieri says, “I love everything about it – the location, her outfit, the lighting, the composition, and the unusual pose.” You can look at more of Alexandria Salmieri’s photography on her website, alexandriasalmieriphotography.com, and find her on Facebook and Instagram.
Cierra Craft
Cierra Craft is a sophomore majoring in Mass Communications. Craft started taking pictures in October of 2012 when she received a DSLR kit for her birthday. Craft began her love for photography during her senior year of high school while she worked for her school's yearbook. She says this was, “When others started to mention to me how I had an eye for photography and I should pursue it further." Craft hasn’t put the camera down since, now she is experienced in sports photography, event photography, portraits and landscape/nature photography. “My motivation to continue taking pictures comes from my friends and family,” expressed Craft. When asked what she wants her photography to say to others, Craft responded, “When people look at my photography, I want them to appreciate their life and things around them.” With the five spheres that Craft practices most in her photography, she said that sports shoots are her favorite because, “I’ve had the chance to be on the sidelines of football games, soccer matches, and dance competitions. I just love when I catch an athlete in action and you see the sweat dripping and the passion in their eyes for their sport.”
Crafts favorite picture is one that she took in October of 2014 while in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The pink, blue, purple and orange are what captures the image best. You can find more of Cierra Crafts photography here.
Devin Burke
19-year-old Devin Burke is a freshman majoring in Marketing and is also the fifth photographer who I have discovered here at USF. Burke started photography after he was amazed by other pictures. Burke said, “I stole my mom’s DSLR and started taking pictures of everything, landscapes, flowers, toys in my house, people, anything that would let me take its picture, I took it.” With eight years under his belt, Burke started taking photographs in 2007 when he was ten-years-old, yet officially opened his business in 2012. Burke shared that his first paid photography shoot was with his cousins in York, Maine, which then happened to be only an hour away from his home. When asked what he wants his photography to say, Burke responded, “I want every picture to say something different. A photo of a couple I want to radiate love; a photo of a child I want to capture the child and their innocence; a senior I want to capture their beauty of this big milestone in their life.” Burke is specializing in specialty shoots, these include seniors, couples and macro photography.
Currently, Burke's favorite photo of his is because “it has such beautiful light, I love how we styled it and it’s definitely one of the best photos I’ve taken. You can find more of Devin Burkes photography on his website here and his Facebook. Also, feel free to follow him on IG @canddphotography.
Elizabeth Stafford
Second-year student, Elizabeth Stafford is majoring in Psychology and is the final photographer at USF who I have discovered. Not everyone starts doing photography because they already know they love it. Stafford started photography after experiencing a hard time in her life, “I dealt with a lot of depression and self-harm,” explained Stafford “I asked for a camera one Christmas, my senior year of high school, in an attempt to find a hobby to help me heal. I immediately fell in love.” This is when Adam Elmakias – an influential music photographer in Stafford’s life – made things very clear for her. Stafford says that she is “choosing” to pursue a career in concert photography, “I know it’s risky, but I would rather be poor and living out of a suitcase, in a career that I love, than being stuck with money in a career I do not want to be in.”
Stafford’s specialty is concert photography; she focuses on capturing the “raw, personal energy from the artist.” This is what makes Stafford’s photography special. “My favorite picture is one of Austin Carlile that I captured when I wasn’t even supposed to be in the pit. I literally had 30 seconds to capture something before the security guard kicked me out. I snapped a shot, and it is still my favorite. Austin himself has been a huge inspiration in my life, and I caught a moment of pure emotion from him.” You can check out more of Elizabeth Stafford’s photos on her Facebook page here.
