Interning at SheWanders these past few months has been an unforgettable experience. I have grown so much not only as a photographer, but as a person. Suzanne has shared so much knowledge and experience with me. I could not be more grateful for what she has taught me and how much I have learned throughout this experience. Within the last 12 weeks, I have written dozens of Instagram captions, written and edited blog posts, and have successfully completed 11 photoshoots. I’m grateful to have been in a space where I was able to tackle projects in a way that gave me the freedom to express my own creativity. I would highly recommend interning with Suzanne for anyone looking to grow in their own creativity and photography.
Through curating and posting to Instagram almost every week, I can now safely say I feel confident in my caption-writing abilities. I have learned how to tell a story through a series of posts, create graphics, engage an audience through stories, and how to promote posts with tags, mentions, and hashtags. I’ve learned what goes into marketing a product on social media (shout out Wanderlings) and how to create a cohesive grid layout.
I’ve never thought of writing as a strength of mine, I’m usually more confident with visual work. I have learned so much through writing weekly blog posts for SheWanders. Whether it was matching the voice of Suzanne and the SheWanders brand, creating a cohesive post with images that make sense, or telling a story with words, I now feel more confident in a task I was once intimidated by.
Having a reason to photograph each week has been so much fun for me. Over the past 3 months, I’ve shot self portraits, individual portraits of friends, and group portraits. I’ve loved developing and growing into my style of photography, which is much clearer to me now than it was in the past. I’ve shot in so many wonderful places, which I likely would not have done if it weren’t for this internship. Suzanne’s expert advice and tips on things I normally wouldn’t have noticed was always so helpful. Directing models comes much more naturally now and I’m better at paying attention to details when I shoot, although I’m still working on being conscious of red ears and white shirts turned purple - ha ha.
If that wasn’t already enough, I’ve also learned so much about working in the “real world”. It’s very different from what I’m used to in school, and I’m so happy to have gained experience in this way. I’ve learned to manage my time, how to stay organized when working on different projects, and how to better communicate in a work environment. This experience has opened my eyes to what work in the “real world” can be like and of what is possible when working in a creative setting.
I’m grateful to Suzanne for making this experience as hands-on as possible despite the craziness of recent times. She never failed to find a way to include me, whether that was by having me join in on the action of a shoot via FaceTime in Ana’s pocket or by giving me a ride to a photoshoot. I looked forward to our bi-weekly Zoom meetings and always loved watching how Ana and Suzanne’s creativity built off each other’s when they worked on various projects. It was so much fun for me to watch and learn from their process.
Being able to share the work I have done in a safe space with Ana and Suzanne taught me the power of expressing my voice and my creative work. I am no longer the same hesitant person I once was. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t know if I will ever be the loudest in the room, but through leading meetings and sharing my opinions, I’m learning that it is okay to take up space in my own way.
I loved how this internship and mentorship was tailored to what I was interested in learning. I could tell that Suzanne wanted to see me succeed, as she was always encouraging me and cheering me on, which I will forever be grateful for. I appreciated that she told me when I was successful while still giving me helpful feedback for where I could improve to help me grow. Thank you, Suzanne, for giving me the confidence to accomplish great things in my future. I feel so much more prepared for whatever opportunity I’m presented with next. See you soon real world!
I still have lots of learning to do, but I am so grateful for an opportunity that has helped me grow immensely. Thank you for a wonderful 12 weeks, SheWanders. I will never forget how much this experience impacted me.
