Greetings Photoion students and photography fans, it is time again for another Student of the Month interview.

Every month we choose one of our students who has shown great promise and we sit down with them to learn about how they got started with photography and how they’ve found the art so far.

The winner also gets a £50 voucher that can be redeemed against any of our courses.

This month we spoke with Trish Macharla about their journey.

Trish Macharla

Everyone who is chasing life knows how Monday’s usually are, but something different happened to me this week. I got an email for Photoion School telling me that I was chosen the Student of the Month for April 2018. My instant reaction ‘Oh My.. What? How did this happen?’

(c) Trish Macharla

I am sitting here trying to remind myself when my photography journey started and I was amazed to realize it has been more than 2 years. Wow, really – time flies! It was January 2016; New Year, new resolutions, and like many, I wanted to pick up a new hobby so I could do something more than just WORK, WORK, & WORK. My brother who has been pushing me towards photography for a while finally won and I purchased my first DSLR camera Nikon D5300 after enrolling myself in a local college to learn the basics as I am one of those people who is too lazy to learn a thing by reading and always prefer to learn by the structure. So that’s how my first step into this magical world of photography started.

(c) Trish Macharla, taken on our Birds of Prey Studio Photography Workshop

I was clicking the shutter, getting the pictures almost technically correct, but I was not too happy with the end results and always felt something was missing. I was on the verge of losing that zeal when my 6 best friends decided to surprise me by gifting Nikon D750 in 2017.

(c) Trish Macharla, taken on our recent Birds of Prey Studio Photography Workshop

A new chapter started when I Googled for some photography workshops so I can improve my skills and play with my new toy that I came across Photoion School of Photography. In September 2017, I enrolled in my first workshop ‘Night Photography’ with them. I was a bit sceptical and unsure on the evening of my workshop, not knowing what to look forward to. But five months since my first encounter with Ion Paciu, I am here receiving ‘Student of the Month’ award – I still cannot believe it.

(c) Trish Macharla

I grew substantially with every workshop I attended, thanks to Ion; and I started seeing Light since my ‘Advanced Photography Workshop’. Ion is an addictive, enthusiastic, and motivating tutor.

(c) Trish Macharla

A moment of time, a particular memory, and the exhilarating emotions that last forever when captured perfectly keeps driving my love and desire for photography. The long waits, the struggle of making sure not missing a shot, and the excitement that encase me after that amazing shot is why I continue doing what I love. I have evolved from being an absolute amateur, but I have a long way to go before I can call myself a photographer. Looking through the viewfinder changed the way I glance at the world around me, learning from Ion taught me to think before clicking the shutter. I am not sure where my photography journey would take me but it has changed my life’s depth of field.

(c) Trish Macharla

As Imogen Cunningham said “Which of my photographs is my favourite? The one I’m going to take tomorrow”. Picking up my first camera made some impossible things possible for me and my best photograph will be clicked tomorrow and choosing to take workshops with Photoion School ensured I am emerging. Thanks to Ion and team for making me part of this amazing family…