“Lights, camera… pose!” Senior Ali Meizels, the Head Photo Editor for the KO News this past year, has a well-deserved reputation for photography all around campus. Need a photo? Just ask, and Ali will not disappoint. In fact, she is always willing to take a picture and is sure to exceed your expectations with her exceptional photography skills.
Each issue, Ali has had the unique responsibility of taking, editing, and formatting quality photos for many articles in both the print and web versions, as well as making sure the Associate Photo Editors step up to par and take quality photos, as well. If the necessary amount of photos hasn’t been taken, it’s up to Ali to make sure to get all them in on time.
Ali has been an integral part of the KO News ever since she joined her freshman year, when her advisor recommended she develop her love for photography through the school newspaper.
“I always have been interested in photo and have done stuff outside of school, and I just wanted to find ways to do it in school,” Ali said.
Ali said she got into the newspaper by a faculty recommendation. “When my advisor suggested taking photos for the KO News, I was really excited, and Mr. Kyff and Shelby Fairchild [the faculty advisor and a member of the KO News at the time] agreed it was a good idea,” Ali said.
Ali said she enjoys being a part of the KO News because it allows her to work on her communication and collaboration skills as well as become more involved in the community.
“I think the KO News has been one of the most important parts of my KO experience,” she said. “I’ve really had the chance to see myself grow out of my shell. I used to not want to photograph stuff on my own, but now I really like going by myself with my camera and finding interesting events and people around campus.”
Ali said she still clearly remembers the first issue she had to photograph for and being so nervous, but she said she is much more comfortable now, both in photographing and in working with others.
When 2019 Symposium speaker Colson Whitehead came to campus, Ali said she was especially excited to photograph him for the newspaper. “I was in the Symposium class, so I had been reading all his books, so it was just really exciting for me to meet him and take a photo of him,” she explained. “I even went to the small poker game he had and got to take a photo of them playing! It was just a really cool experience.”
Besides taking pictures for the newspaper, Ali extends her interest in photography in many different directions.
She said she is also one of the Head Editors for Retrospect, KO’s yearbook, and also takes pictures for other people, such as senior pictures, family photos, prom photos, and others.
Moreover, she took Photography 1 and an independent study in documentary photojournalism as a sophomore, where she took a photo series for the Team Tobatí trip she had been on that spring, and Photography 2 as a junior.
This year, Ali decided to take Advanced Studio Art, where she is able to experiment with film photography, which is different from the digital photography she is used to using.
Ali also received the Rossoff Fellowship and recently went to Paris to take a lot of pictures, an experience she said she is very grateful for.
Ali, you truly have a great eye for taking amazing photos and have been an essential member of the KO News! Keep taking stunning pictures, and best of luck with all your future photography endeavors.
