If you know this week’s Campus Celeb, Hosanna Fuller, then you know she always has a camera in hand. This girl spills her secrets for photographs worthy enough to appear on Vera Wang’s Instagram (true story!).
Name: Hosanna Fuller
School: Barnard College
Major: Computer Science
Hometown: Berkeley, CA
What’s your favorite Spring/Summer clothing item?
My Superga platform white sneaks
What are you look forward to most about graduating?
I’m backpacking in Europe for two months, so I’m really excited about that.
I’ve noticed everyone has been going to you for graduation photos! What to you is the most important aspect you try to capture in your photos?
Graduation is a transitional time that’s both exciting and crazy. Graduation photos can often be stuffy and posed. When I take photos, I try to capture the energy of moving forward with people’s lives. I also like capturing the feeling of achievement and success people have. One graduate that I photographed stuck her arm on her hip while flipping her hair; it was this beautiful powerful moment of accomplishment.
What advice can you give graduates so that their photos are something that they will look back on in 20 years and cherish?
Don’t try to do trendy filters or effects. Just make the photos nicely contrasted and don’t go crazy with photo-shopping every stray hair. Grad photos (like most photos) are better when you are giving a candid smile in a classic background.
You’ve also taken great photos at New York Fashion Week! What was your favorite part about that experience?
My friend and I went to the Diane Von Furstenburg presentation this semester and stood front row with Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, Karlie Kloss, etc. At one point, DVF herself asked my friend what she thought of the collection while I was taking photos.
Which designer was your favorite?
Vera Wang was my favorite show because the clothes were this spindly, web-like silk that moved so weightlessly on the catwalk; it was a truly magical moment. Also, it doesn’t hurt that Vera reposted my photo to her Instagram.
What do you look for when you are photographing clothes?
When you photograph fashion shows, you have to balance the model’s face with the clothes flowing properly and their legs hitting the peak of their stride, all while avoiding people getting into the background of your photos. This shot only appears for a micro second, so you really have to be on your game and make sure to click at that right moment.
What are your postgrad plans?
I am a Computer Science major, so creativity and tech really go hand-in-hand for me. Next year, I will be working for SurveyMonkey as a software engineer doing mostly front-end development, which basically means making a designer’s aesthetic vision in code. You have to have an eye for good composition with front end engineering, which is something I learned from photography.
If you could only take one last photo at Columbia University, where/what would it be?
Selfie with Alma where I’m sitting on her lap!
Need some grad pics or just a new profile pic? Hosanna’s got you covered. See some of her amazing work below!