Ever since joining the yearbook club her eighth-grade year, Alumni Carli Hammond’s passion for photography has blossomed, inspiring her to create her own business. 

   Hammond initially joined the yearbook club because she loved taking photos. Being shy, she had always preferred to be behind the camera rather than in front. 

   The end of her sophomore year is when she finally began her dream photography business, Photos by Carli. Prior to the beginning of her business, she had started shooting amusing images with her close friends and family, and as a result, rapidly improved as she did so. 

   Hammond’s extracurriculars along with her photography include dance, school, and her popular Instagram account dedicated to her devotion to God. Currently, Hammond is also very involved in taking photos for the church she attends. Juggling all of these at once is challenging for her, but she would not change it if she could. 

   “It is definitely tricky and overwhelming at times, but it is worth doing all of the things I love,” said Hammond. 

   Hammond’s business has even extended to people from numerous different schools. There has been primarily positive feedback towards Hammond’s business, and she has since reached almost 500 followers on her photography account. 

   Freshman Melia Piloske has gotten her photos taken by Hammond through her business. She had a very enjoyable experience and would certainly go through it again, and she highly recommends it to anyone. Piloske was also pleased with the prices, which range from $50 for 30 minutes to $150 for an hour. 

   “The environment was very fun, and it was a really great experience. She was very nice, uplifting, and knows how to make people feel good about themselves,” said Pilsoke.

   Hammond intends to continue her passion after high school by planning to study multimedia journalism with a possible minor in photography. Hammond would love to pursue a career in photography in one way or another, whether that be in freelance, church, dance, or clothing companies. 

   Though Hammond has much on her plate through all of her extracurriculars on top of her business, she hopes to continue to grow and prosper in the passion that brings her happiness.