Richland Community College
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	Stefanie Norem Stefanie landed at Richland after two years of traveling along the west coast of the United States. During this time she made her living through selling her handmade jewelry and other art. She has also attended schools in Boulder, CO and Austin, TX. Stefanie is very adventurous and enjoys traveling. She has worked with political activist organizations and efforts in the past. She enjoys taking a wide array of photographs and looks forward to photographic projects with impoverished citizens worldwide. In her photographic downtime she finds joy in shooting bridges and doors. She picked up her first 35mm Nikon camera in 1998 at 15 years old, but never had access to the darkroom until beginning at Richland.
Artist's Statement I began traveling frequently early in life, rooting myself in no one particular location but rather in close relationships. This background has led me to become a free-spirited traveler in my life as well as with my art. Since receiving my first manual function camera at thirteen years old, I have found a love for my enhanced sense of intimacy in viewing objects while having fresh eyes for the seemingly mundane due to my traveler’s perspective. My photography embodies these aspects of my personality. My work portrays intimacy in its perspective, content, and the rawness of its form. Most photos are printed full frame with very little or no adjustments made from the original negative. They frequently include the unique touch of rounded edges. My fresh perspective on common scenes sometimes also becomes inclusive of abstract pieces, yet I hope that these can also portray a similar raw intimacy. I enjoy photographing a multitude of subjects, but chosen matter recently has pertained mostly to transportation, travel, and scenery. I am working on developing my portrait photography so it can better portray the close relationships I have with humankind. I hope to pursue photojournalism in the future. My main photographic influence thus far is Walker Evans due to his ability to view common objects and people in new and heightened ways which enlighten and lift the spirit. I also am greatly influenced by Henri Cartier-Bresson who is the father of the “decisive moment” in photographic history. I hope to one day learn to capture the moment the way he consistently did. I also greatly enjoy the intimate works of portraitists Diane Arbus and Annie Leibovitz. Like these and most artists, my goal is simply to record what I see through my own eyes.