Meet Avery Warford, a senior Media Arts and Design major with a concentration in Digital Video and Cinema. She is excited to share her show, “Where the Grass is Greener,” which captures photos taken around Ireland. 

Avery began taking photos in eighth grade after receiving a camera as a gift from her grandfather. She started by photographing her older brother’s football games. Throughout her photography journey, Avery has come to appreciate how the medium allows her to develop her creative vision and bring it into reality. She explains, “You have an idea in your head, the idea in your head is different from the picture you take, and then the picture you take is different from the picture that you edit. Being able to develop what you see with your eyes into an actual edited photo is what I really like about it.” 

Avery captured this collection during a study abroad program in Ireland. She and her family arrived the week before the program began. Originally, her dad did not want her to bring her camera on the trip, but she insisted. “Wherever we went, I took my camera and took pictures of everything. My dad really did not want me to bring my camera, but I was like, this is once in a lifetime, I’m not missing out on having good, crisp images of the beautiful Irish landscape.” 

While in Ireland, Avery found herself inspired by the beauty and greenery of the landscape. During the editing process, she aimed to bring the vibrant colors she experienced back into her photos. She noted that her camera sometimes fails to capture scenes exactly as she remembers them, often appearing darker or duller than in real life. 

Visiting Ireland was only Avery’s second time leaving the country, but she hopes her photos will inspire others to travel somewhere new. Being able to travel with her camera gave her the opportunity to capture meaningful memories and connect with people through her photography. As she reflects, “Those pictures will always be a good memory, they’ll be the first ones I look back on when I remember my time studying abroad.” 

View the full collection here