I interviewed Rachel Lenchner, who is the artist of the month and asked her where and when she found her passion for photography.

Sajar: How long have you been taking photos?

Rachel: I do not know the exact amount of years but I have been taking photos since elementary school.

Sajar: Do you have a specific device or setup to take photos?

Rachel: Now I have a Canon camera, but before I used my phone. The camera is definitely better.

Sajar: When did your passion for photography start?

Rachel: When I was little I had this really cheap Hello Kitty camera that I would take everywhere and take pictures of random things. I also entered a lot of art contests.

Sajar: Do you have any inspirations?

Rachel: I do not really have any specific artists I am inspired by but I want to capture special moments and convey emotion.

Sajar: What is your favorite photo you’ve ever taken?

Rachel: I did not know this girl personally, but it was a reaction picture to when she got homecoming queen in freshman year. It was a big deal since she had a rough year because her brother died. It was a really special picture.

Sajar: Do you face any challenges while taking photos?

Rachel: I do not have a studio or a lot of resources so the pictures are either at school or flowers and landscape from my neighborhood or garden.

Sajar: What is your favorite part about photography?

Rachel: I like how I am able to convey what I want by editing and composition and using different settings. I am able to control what message is told from the photo.

Sajar: Do you have any photography tips?

Rachel: Try to take photos of what interests you. I like photojournalism, social justice, and botany which really fuels the passion behind photography for me. Recently, I have been taking a lot of Jewish culture pictures to portray a personal message.

Sajar: How do you publish an art piece?

Rachel: We are actually trying to get more outreach because not a lot of people know about it so here is the link to publish https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfwozGs3Dww4ddGsfT_rPwzkcugvTug21_iaEvQioT_ItS4KQ/viewform?gxids=7757 and if you’re interested in being involved, here is the club’s instagram name: @dphsartclub_.