In this day and age, it is easy for anyone to pick up a camera and start taking photos, but to be able to truly capture a moment or an emotion is a skill not many acquire. However, mass communication sophomore Camille Delaune has not only found a way to do this, but has also put aside beauty to capture the truth behind each subject she has the opportunity to shoot.
“I don’t always think beauty is the goal. I think truth is more of the goal,” Delaune said. “I think being able to take a photo of someone, especially a photo that makes them feel beautiful or feel like they are truly represented, I feel like that is a truly amazing gift you can give to someone.”
Since the age of seven, Delaune said she found something alluring about photos and was fascinated by this type of documentation. It wasn’t until her sophomore year of high school that Delaune received her first beginner camera, a Nikon D3100, that she still has today.
With a concentration in digital advertising and minors in graphic design and photography, Delaune has spent her time at the University growing her appreciation for the different aspects of photography. She has had the opportunity to work with film photography and in a dark room, really allowing her to have a better understanding of the technical aspect of photography.
“Studying photography has totally changed the game,” Delaune said. “It is remarkable the changes I’ve seen in my own photography. It really shows me the power of a team dynamic and how powerful a creative atmosphere can be.”
With a photographic focus on portraits, Delaune dwells on capturing moments in people’s lives. She wants people to be able to look back on a photograph she took and truly see who they were at that time in their life.
Delaune’s images are bright and warm, and she tends to stray away from the dark and angsty vibe, allowing her to stand out among the many “new-age” photographers. She would much rather chase the light coming off a falling sunset in its last moments or just capture the spontaneity in someone’s everyday life, she said.
While she sees this as one of her defining qualities, she doesn’t believe it necessarily makes her better than others. Delaune simply finds inspiration in the warmer things in life, she said.
“The photography I am absolutely most inspired by and the photography I just drool over is shameless,” Delaune said. “Like you can look at a photo and say “that photographer does not give a shit about what anybody thinks.’”
Delaune aspires to create dynamic, interesting and powerful portraits. She is currently booking for 2018, hoping to take advantage of the endless opportunities the world gives to make a beautiful image.
“It truly comes from a place of just a clear desire to make interesting art,” Delaune said. “It does not conform to trendy art trends or editing trends and it’s just innovative, unique photography.”
LSU mass communication sophomore Camille Delaune pursues photography as a career on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018, at Barnes and Noble LSU.
