USD student takes photography to New York City

One USD student sold cupcakes for two months in order to raise the $1,000 she needed to go to New York City after winning a photography contest.

First-year Abby Sparks, a health science major, has been taking pictures for six years.

“My best friend’s dad was a photographer and she got a camera when we were young,” Sparks said. “We did everything together, so I wanted a camera, too. I got my first little Canon camera when I was 13 and I started taking pictures. It’s also a big thing at my high school. We have a good program for it, and it kind of progressed from there.”

Sparks, a Denver, C.O. native, said she enjoys taking landscape and surrealistic photos.

“I like landscape when I’m in Colorado because it’s very scenic,” Sparks said. “But I like taking pictures of people because there is so much you can do. I like doing surrealism a lot. Just anything with people that has a dark, creepy feel to it is what I like doing.”

Sparks said her favorite thing about photography is seeing the final product.

“Watching how they turn out,” Sparks said. “Looking through the lens and seeing it and then looking back and thinking ‘I captured that moment, and it looks great.’”

Sparks’ photography was featured at Carnegie Hall as part of the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards last summer. The awards are presented by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers and aim to recognize “the vision, ingenuity, and talent of our nation’s youth, and provided opportunities for creative teens to be celebrated,” according to the organization’s website.

Sparks entered the contest last year and was the only one to place at the national level in her high school.

“There are different categories of art and writing that you can enter in,” Sparks said. “I entered photography at the state competition and I won a gold key. If you win a gold key, your art gets entered into the national level, and I won a silver there, which no one has ever won at my school.”

Sparks’ name was then put into a lottery, which she eventually won, and was able to go to New York last summer to present her photo.

In addition to attending the event, Sparks was able to explore the city.

“We went to see all the sites,” Sparks said. “The second day we went to Carnegie Hall for the exhibit. There were some celebrities that spoke, including Hilary Clinton’s daughter. We did other fun stuff like take a carriage ride around the park, and we took a water taxi.”

Sparks said her favorite part was seeing “Jersey Boys” on Broadway.

Sparks said showing her work in such a prestigious city and place was a great accomplishment.

“I never thought I’d ever accomplish anything like that. And the fact that my art was appreciated, it makes me feel like it’s more than just a hobby and that I can do something that is going to be seen,” Sparks said.