Conveying Our Culture

The photography that appears throughout this site is by five photographers— four students and one alum of Columbia College Chicago.

We challenged them to capture the culture of Columbia.

So they took pictures... many, many pictures that convey some of the diverse personalities of the people who create the Columbia culture: our students, faculty, and staff. Through the eyes of these photographers, we hope you will get a sense of the energy and attitude that make up Columbia’s culture of creativity.

	Charlie Deets  Hometown: Westmont, Illinois  Past life: Earned a B.A. in Economics from DePaul University  Favorite camera: My medium-format twin-lens Rolleiflex  Childhood ambition: To be a musician  Dream job: To be a musician  Inspiration: The band They Might Be Giants. I like relentless creation.  Most humbling thing learned at Columbia: Many people are very good at photography.  Wants to photograph: People floating at night
	Sahyley Hernandez  Hometown: Chicago, Illinois  Dream job: Film director  Mentor: My brother  Favorite book: Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 Inspiration: Film noir, David Lynch, Stanley Kubrick, Mariko Mori, Gregory Crewdson, Masahiro Shinoda, and Alfred Hitchcock Most humbling thing learned at Columbia: That learning from your mistakes is a strength, not a weakness
	Sarah McKemie  Hometown: Tulsa, Oklahoma  Dream job: Photographing happy people and traveling to faraway lands  Childhood ambition: First to be a dentist, then a movie star Favorite camera: My Hasselblad Muse: My family Wants to photograph: Stay-at-home dads
	Terttu Uibopuu  Hometown: Häädemeeste, Estonia  First camera: A small plastic camera my grandpa gave me when I was six— It even had a flash! Childhood ambition: To be a firefighter, or an actress Fell in love with photography: When I was 15, and my friend Seila invited me to join a small photo club that met up once a week in a basement darkroom Most important thing learned at Columbia: That it’s not as important to compete with other people as it is to compete with yourself Wants to photograph: My family and home in Estonia, and St. Petersburg (the one in Russia, not the one in Florida)  Learned the hard way: Self-discipline and cooking
	Erika Dufour  Hometown: Quebec City, Canada DEGREE: B.A. Photography, 1997 IN HIGH SCHOOL: Skipped lunch, study hall, and art class to spend time in the darkroom Dream job: A job that doesn’t feel like a job BEST PHOTO: There’s no such thing Most humbling Columbia EXPERIENCE: Portfolio reviews LEARNED THE HARD WAY: Stop freaking out, it’s only photography!