When senior Leah Sikes began taking photos in middle school, she was unaware that she would one day get paid for her new hobby.
She began her road to photography when a few photographers told her she was a natural at taking photos. That convinced her to purchase a professional camera and pursue her hobby. Sikes enjoys taking natural and architectural photos, but focuses on portraits.
“It makes me really happy when I get a good shot because it’s really nice to be able to capture a moment perfectly and preserve it before it’s gone,” Sikes said.
After creating her Facebook page, “Leah Sikes Photography,” her photography has become more popular in social media. This page allows others to view her photos and book photo shoots or purchase photos. She also uses Facebook to share her photo shoots with customers in a timely manner.
Of all of her photos, Sikes’s favorite is one she took on her first day with her first Nikon camera. As she was playing with her camera settings, she noticed a vivacious blue dragonfly and decided to nonchalantly snap a photo of it. To her surprise, she fell in love with the outcome.
“It turned out way better than I could have ever imagined,” Sikes said. “I loved it because of the vibrant colors and how beautiful the dragonfly is.”
Sikes shadowed professional photographers to gain experience. While her schedule does not allow her to do as many photo shoots as she wishes, she still makes time for it. Recently, she shot photos for a commercial property which can be seen on sites such as Expedia and Travelocity.
“She works really hard on top of a busy academic and extra-curricular schedule,” Barbara Verity, Sikes’ mother said. “I am really proud of her.”
Her most latest photo shoot was of a wedding rehearsal. Even though she asked for $50 for an hour, the couple paid her $75. Sikes was shocked that the couple was willing to pay more than she quoted, especially since she is not a professional. One of Sikes goals is for someone to purchase one of her natural or architectural photos.
All of the money Sikes earns from her photography goes into a money jar for future travel expenses. This is beneficial to her photography career because it will give her the opportunity to take photos in foreign places.
“I hope that someday people fall in love with them [my photos] as much as I have and feel that they are worth buying,” Sikes said.