By Kelli Saunders
Staff Writer
Costa junior Sky Karasik zooms in on the lives of teenage girls in her upcoming picture-book “The Essence of Girlhood.”
Since becoming interested in photography in the fifth grade, Karasik has experimented with various styles of photography, progressively taking her hobby more seriously. Karasik is creating a book of photos centered around the experience of being a teenage girl as her latest photography project. (The book will include quotes from her subjects alongside the photos that she takes.)
“I enjoy all of the different forms of photography, including conceptual and editorial styles,” Karasik said. “I do not limit myself to styles that can make me money; I am involved in any type of photography that makes me happy.”
Over the summer, Karasik advertised to her female Instagram followers to participate in a photoshoot for the book. During the shoots, the girls are photographed and asked questions such as “What is the best and worst part about being a teenager?” and “What are your three biggest fears?”
“When the girls came into the shoot, we interviewed them and asked questions that were meant to evoke a deeper exploration of who they are and how they view the world,” Karasik said.
Karasik’s inspiration came from photographer Martin Shoeller. He takes candid photographs of all different types of people, from bodybuilders to actresses, and purposely avoids having them smile so they feel comfortable rather than forced. According to Karasik, she applies this technique when shooting the photos she is putting into her book.
“In these photographs, I am capturing a presence that normally we do not get to show,” Karasik said. “A significant part of being a teenager is constantly working to fit in, and I was trying to have them avoid having that feeling.”
So far, Karasik has completed four shoots, and 16 girls have participated in the project. In the future, Karasik plans to complete more shoots in order to add to the photographs in her book.
“The photoshoot was unique because it wasn’t what you would think of as a normal photoshoot,” junior Sammy Grubman said. “Once I looked at the photos Sky took, I thought it was a super awesome concept that she was capturing.”
The release date for Karasik’s book is set for January 2016. The book will be published by Inergy Publishing Company, and all revenue will be donated to a charity of Karasik’s choice.
“I am excited to see the finished product of all my work and how it will affect people,” Karasik said.
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