Topic:

 

Hi everyone! My name is Kevin Vandegrift. I am a senior majoring in Communication Studies here at Saint Joseph’s University. Heading into the spring, I am taking senior capstone as one of my final classes before I graduate. For my capstone project, I decided that I will be taking professional pictures of my classmates and friends in formal attire that they could use after college for the working world. My goal is to help my friends look as professional as possible that they would be able to use on their LinkedIn or even on their resumes. I’m focusing on formal portraits because as we graduate college everyone is heading into the working world. It is very important to look as professional as possible to help secure a good job. 

 

Audience:

 

The audience in my capstone project is generally based on college students. More specifically, my general focus is towards juniors and seniors that need self-portraits for LinkedIn or their resumes. I specify juniors and seniors because this age group is in the second half of college where people are looking for potential jobs for the future. 

 

My secondary audience will be adults and maybe even younger kids that would like a portrait of themselves. This may be something adults may reach out to in order to try and change the current picture they are using for LinkedIn or their resume. Also, for younger kids, I may be able just to take a good portrait they would like to have of themselves. 

 

Experience:

 

My experience with a camera has drastically changed when I stepped foot on campus here at Saint Joseph’s University. Heading into my first year of college I took my first photography class just because I needed a free elective. As time went on in my freshman year I gained a passion for photography. After that semester, I tried to take a photography class each year moving forward. Over the course of four years, I have taken over six classes where I was in the use of a camera. Four of my six classes have been specifically photography. With all of these classes, I was able to minor in art. I have taken thousands of photos and am very experienced in photography. 

 

Research:

 

For my research on my project, I will look to find new hints and ideas to use when I am taking pictures of my subjects. I will also reach out to my past teachers if needed to make sure I make my photos of my friends and classmates as professional as possible. Another aspect of my research will be evaluating youtube videos to possibly pick up on something I could learn before I go head first in my project. 

 

Obstacles:

 

An obstacle that I think may occur heading into my project is scheduling. This is going to be the biggest problem I face in the next couple of months. SJU only has one building where I can take portraits and I will need to find a time when the studio is free. I also will need to make sure that the individuals I am taking portraits of aligning with the time I have checked out the studio. Many people use the studio here on campus so I will need to be very careful with scheduling heading into my project. 

 

Timeline:

 

I have created bullet points to help accomplish the things needed to fulfill my senior capstone project. These steps will have dates in the next week or two but as of right now I am still figuring out when I will check them off. 

 

  • Find time to check out the studio – TBD
  • Find free time for the individuals that are having their portrait taken – TBD
  • Create Instagram page – TBD
  • Create a website to highlight photography – TBD