Tristen Porter: How joining Harbinger helped her find a passion outside of her comfort zone

My sophomore self joined staff not at all appreciative of photography, or the jerds and art I would soon be immersed into. Coming from a 70-person class at Academie Lafayette, I figured I’d take a leap and join Harbinger. Immediately, without much guidance, I was handed a Nikon D7200 and sent off to shoot my first story about Power Life Yoga. 

My sweaty palms gripped the camera as I nervously fumbled with my settings. F-stop? ISO? I had no idea what I had gotten myself into. After 25 minutes of shooting a simple portrait I felt accomplished and satisfied with two clear shots and decent lighting. 

Within my first few months, I was shooting everything from basketball games to choir concerts. After each event, there were over a thousand photos on my camera I had to sort through and edit, taking upwards of two hours during my first few months on staff – and don’t even get me started on posting on the website. 

Now, by the end of an event I have less than 400 photos and the editing process takes me no longer than an hour. I have truly learned how to be a photographer. And a good one.  

But it was quite a process to get to this point. Things like the backroom that glowed with hanging LED lights that was only for upperclassmen, or the “jouch” — journalism couch — were unknown and terrifying. But after months of blurry and over-exposed photos, it finally clicked.

I found my niche – lacrosse. After taking photos at a lacrosse game to get one of my mandatory credits for the week, I was hooked. I constantly found myself coming back to the sport. That feeling when you can tell yourself, “Now that was a great shot” is unmatched. 

Through an unknown sport to myself, I found a love for the art I was able to create.These were moments perfectly frozen in time that I never fathomed capturing. I quickly learned the ropes and continued to grow as a photographer. As a third year photographer, I’ve been proud to pass on my skills and advice to younger, aspiring staff photographers, as I once was.  

By joining staff, taking pictures, partaking in Tate’s “five-minutes” — more like “30-minutes” — and constantly growing, I’ve been able to bond with so many different people on staff whether it was by sharing a twin-sized bed in San Francisco or desperately needing help on my InDesign final. 

These past three years on staff have been unforgettable, and I’m incredibly grateful for all this program has done for me. Showing me my true self and talents, all the while allowing myself to grow and find a true passion.