ePortfolioKaralyn Mark

Hello, my name is Karalyn Mark. I'm a freshman Cinema & Photography major at Ithaca College in New York. I came to Ithaca college from my hometown of Pottstown, PA to further expand my knowledge and passion for photography which I developed in my early teens. Although I'm only a freshman, I feel as though I've learned a lot at Ithaca College already - both inside and outside of the classroom. After graduation I plan to pursue a career in photography, whether I'm working as a freelance photographer or for a larger company. I have a strong interest in portrait photography, but I am currently exploring many other categories of photographic work. Although having a goal in mind is important, I know that the world of communications is always changing and I'm open to gaining any type of new experience in the field of photography.

During one of the first weeks of my S'park class which I'm currently taking in the Park School of Communications, professor Steven Skopik gave our class a lecture on photography that really "stuck with me". He told our class that over 380 billion images are produced each year, which caused me to realize that my work as a photographer is part of something much bigger. It's known that media is always changing, and I'm ready to adapt to the changes made in still photography throughout my future career. I've learned that photographers shape what the public knows about the world and provides them with a window to view the world in a way that was previously impossible. I'm very excited and eager as I'm entering this field to join a group of people who shape what is known and seen in our world.

Technology in our current world is ever-changing, and I'm excited to see the next advancements and changes in photography as my career progresses. I'm ready to adapt to these changes, while also spreading various messages through my work. In today's world, it is very easy to reach a large audience but it's much more difficult to establish a connection with it. Millions of photographs are taken every day, but the challenge that I face is to create a photograph that leaves a lasting impression on people's minds. During the next four years of my journey here at Ithaca College, I look forward to developing my skills and understanding of this changing media world to reach my ultimate goal of working in the photography industry.