Julie Potter is on a journey with her photography.
She is currently a senior set to graduate with a BFA in photography this May and is the photo editor for The Wood Word, covering a variety of stories, from political rallies to local protests to campus events.
Potter has taken photos ever since she was a child. She would start off using a Vtech KidiZoom Camera and eventually upgrade to using the camera on her phone.
“I always loved documenting everything. When I was a kid, I took any camera I could get and brought it with me. A lot of it [was] I wanted to capture memories but I also wanted to show others how I saw things” Potter said.
Attending Marywood back in 2020, Potter came during the COVID-19 pandemic. She notes how she was initially more reserved but eventually became outgoing. Now, she is a core member of the Shutterbugs Photography Club, Zeta Omicron Kappa Pi, The Wood Word and the Society for Collegiate Journalists. She also sits on the occupational advisory committee for the Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County.
“Right off the bat, my technical skills soared. Suddenly I knew the science behind the camera, as well,” she said.
As The Wood Word’s current photo editor, Julie has had the opportunity to expand her portfolio. She attended local campaign events during the presidential election, where she photographed both Kamala Harris’s and Donald Trump’s rallies. Joining The Wood Word was a true stepping stone in her photography journey.
“When I first started, I hadn’t really done any photojournalism, but now I love it. In a perfect world that’s what I would be doing professionally,” she added.
Julie attributes much of her artistic growth to her time here at Marywood. Each year it seemed like she kept getting better, yet every year she still had more to learn.
“I thought I already knew a lot but I learned even more, I learned to push color which I was scared of at first. You want to keep things natural, but as an artist, you always want to be vibrant in your own way,” she added.
As a busy college student, she still finds time to do things she loves, like crocheting, hiking and spending time with my friends and family. Julie owns a professional Instagram account @jr._photography6 where she has a multitude of pictures ranging from models to architecture to nature.
“People tell me they can always recognize my work… I guess there’s a bit of me in everything I do,” she said. “It’s recognizable, which is a weird thing to think about.”
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