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Photographer captures Australian wildlife mason KELLERMAN YEARS OF TAKING photographs, traveling to new places and molding her photography career have led up to Jordyn Vermont’s biggest accomplishment yet: National Geographic. Jordyn Vermont, senior, participated in a student animal conservation and photography trip to Sydney, Australia, with National Geographic this past July. She was first introduced to the program on a National Geographic sponsored cruise she attended with family several years ago. The application process for Vermont consisted of an application form, teacher references and an initial payment of $700. According to National Geographic Student Expeditions, applications are carefully reviewed by an admissions committee where students are selected on the basis of their maturity, enthusiasm and motivation. She was notified last school year of her acceptance into the expedition, and from there, started her preparations for the trip. For 21 days, Vermont took pictures of local wildlife, made friends from all over the world and roughed it in the most notable Australian Outback. “Since there was no service, it was nice to take a break from social media,” she said. While in the Outback, she endured camping in the open air with nothing more than a campfire and swags, which are insulated sleeping bags. As for her daily routine, she cooked her “brekkie” on a campfire every morning before traveling to a new campsite. Along the way, Vermont was able to get up close and document Australian animals like the koala, emu and ibis. She didn’t just photograph anything though, she had a main goal in mind. Every student on the trip was assigned a special project to complete by the end. For Vermont that was to capture the four elements of Australia: earth, water, air and fire. Using her creativity, she snapped photos of crashing waves, flaky campfire flames, soaring birds and rocky cliffs. Vermont also noted some differences she had to pick up on including foods, slang terms and the common Australian accent. “It’s weird because in the states you’re like ‘I love their accent,’ but there [in Australia] you’re like, ‘Oh wait, I’m the one with the accent’,” she said. Outside of her work, Vermont
mentioned some of the close friends she gained, with some living in Dubai, England and Canada to name just a few. She said she was also able to grow her passion for photography more than ever and she encourages others to follow their dreams. John Ralston, a leader with National Geographic Student Expeditions, said his role as a mentor with students like Vermont is to help them to enjoy their trip. “My goal for the students is to celebrate the diversity of all of their experiences,” he said. For Vermont, he planned to help strengthen her confidence and skills with her photography. Ralston said he believes in traveling, especially at the high school level, because it develops maturity and passion for new cultures. “The experiences from traveling and exploring often serve as a jumping off point for students to develop lifelong interests,” he said. Vermont reflected on her trip and said that even though she was uncertain at first, she was glad to have travelled by herself and have this once-in-a-lifetime experience. “Go outside your comfort zone because you can really learn a lot,” Vermont said “Make sure to take the time to travel.”
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77 Jordyn Vermont, senior, spent three weeks in Australia with National Geographic to photograph local wildlife and scenery.
Photographs by Jordyn Vermont
PHOTO TAKING TIPS
Abbey Gradle photography teacher
never put the main focal point in the center
include foreground, middleground and background to add depth
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objects can break the edges of the photo
For more insight on her trip, check out a blog and photo gallery Jordyn Vermont contributed to by using your phone camera: