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61 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, June 6, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Prime Times Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 24, 2004 South Medford High School senior Whitney Reavis took senior portraits as part of her senior project. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Picture perfect Student turns passion for photography into her senior project EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second in a six-day series on senior projects, those daunting hurdles some students must pass before they graduate from high school. By ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune Whitney Reavis has toted a camera around since grade school, snapping photos of friends, flowers, signs, pets and anything else that caught her eye. "Images are all around you; it’s just a matter of the ones you want to capture," she said. For the South Medford High School senior whose imagination was seized by the ability to record a moment forever on film, photography was a natural topic for the project that would cap off her high school education. For her senior project, she created a business — Dare to Dream Photography — and offered to take portraits for her fellow seniors. Because her goal was a good project and not a profit, she only charged for film, developing and printing costs. Advertisement "My whole idea was to give them something they can afford," she said. "Even though it’s a special occasion, not everyone can afford a lot." Reavis said people knew she spent a lot of time behind a camera because she had worked on the school yearbook since she was a sophomore and served as its photo editor for the past two years. She was a common sight crawling across the floor, camera in hand, to get an up-close shot at school assemblies or clambering along the top of a section of bleachers for a new perspective on a sporting event. She even took a hit from a North Medford linebacker as she worked the sidelines at a cross-town football game. It was still hard to get her name out to potential clients, she said. But that worked fine with the other aspect of her project, a report on advertising, a field in which Reavis one day hopes to ply her photography skills. As she researched "Advertising: From word of mouth to the Internet," — the paper she’ll present for her project this week — she decided to center her ad campaign around a mention in the school’s morning announcements and word of mouth. "I was surprised how many people approached me who wanted a better deal on senior pictures," Reavis said. Starting in October, she photographed eight of her fellow seniors. With each client she discussed film types, print sizes and numbers, and price lists. Then they coordinated schedules and locations for photo shoots that lasted from three to six hours, she said. During one early shoot, she loaded the camera wrong and ended up with nothing on film after spending most of the day snapping pictures of a friend along Bear Creek and in Ashland. Because she favors natural light, those are among her favorite places to make photographs. "It’s trial and error," she said. A reshoot resulted in great photos and a request from the subject’s mom for Reavis to do family portraits. "I’m really impressed with the way she’s improved," said her dad, Larry Reavis. He bought his daughter her first 35 mm camera — a Canon A1 — for Christmas four years ago and watched her struggle to master it. She took photography from Danny Swanson at South and talked with local professional photographers. This past Christmas, Larry Reavis bought her a Canon Rebel, a significant step up. The family also has two digital cameras, "but she has a bias for film," he said. Reavis wants to continue her education at the Seattle Art Institute, but she’s saving money for that so she won’t end up with an art degree and a mountain of student-loan debt. She hopes to have a career in photography. For now she’s continuing to shoot photos for friends and family and daring to dream. "I want to leave a lasting impression with a person who looks at my photographs," she said. Reach reporter Anita Burke at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] Senior project judges wanted Students at North Medford, South Medford and Phoenix high schools must complete a senior project to graduate. The projects require dozens of hours of work outside the classroom, a minimum eight-page paper and a presentation before judges. The schools need help from community members willing to be judges. The judges are asked to assess the presentation and the overall project. No expertise is required and guidelines are provided. Judges are needed from 12:15 to 3:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday at North Medford, 12:45 to 3:45 p.m. Thursday and Friday at South Medford and 12:15 to 2:30 p.m. June 2 at Phoenix. To volunteer, call 779-5318 or 842-3693. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. 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