Where you start is not always where you’ll end up. A few years ago, if you asked her what she wanted to do with her life, junior RTF major Alyssa Curley would not have said “photographer,” but now, her photos are hanging on the second floor of Business Hall. 

Curley didn’t start doing photography on a serious level until about two years ago when she added it as a minor. 

“I took pictures like everyone else did, but I didn’t really fall in love with it until my first class which was Intro to Digital Photography, when I was like ‘Wow I’m kind of okay at this, this looks kind of good,’ and I haven’t put the camera down since,” said Curley. 

Curley found her niche in concept photography, where she could marry her passion for storytelling with her passion for photography. 

“It’s just another way to express myself without having to put it into words,” said Curley. “I used to write a lot as a kid, and then once high school hit I was like, ‘Writing’s not that much fun anymore.’ Concept photography kind of fell right into my lap and it was perfect for me because it was another way for me to express something without saying– like I just want you to look at it and feel what I feel.”

Curley says the biggest lesson she’s had to learn in college is that it’s okay if things don’t work out. Where you start isn’t always where you end up, and at 21, Curley is okay with that, but she wasn’t always. Before photography played the role it does now in her life, Curley had other aspirations: the Marines.

“Believe it or not, I used to be a Marine…the biggest lesson I’ve learned in college is that it’s okay if it doesn’t work out, and to keep your head up–to keep pushing,” said Curley. “I didn’t start at Rowan. I didn’t start with photography. I was actually in the Navy ROTC program at Temple University as a Marine option. I put all my eggs in one basket, and then after a semester I realized that it wasn’t for me and I thought that my life was over.”

Curley’s life wasn’t over, though. In many respects, it was just beginning, and she would learn that it’s never too late to try something new.

“Then I came to Rowan and I found something new, I tried it out and I fell in love with it, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunities I’ve received since then,” said Curley. “It’s been so eye-opening to dedicate myself to something other than sports and the Marines and the military. It’s okay if it doesn’t work out, no one actually knows what they’re doing until they do it.”

For Curley, photography is more than “just pointing and shooting,” it’s appreciation. 

“For me as an overarching idea, it was like– just take a deep breath,” said Curley. “Just stop, take a minute, and appreciate what you’re doing, what you’re looking at. The things that are going on in your life, everyday stress, we kind of just get lost in it, and photography was my way of taking a step back… everything feels more stable because I can find those moments of appreciation with everything I’m doing.”

Curley is no stranger to being behind a camera, though it wasn’t always photography. Curley recalls being little and making mini-films with her sister for fun. But now, at 21 years old, she has found that photography is her true passion. 

“I haven’t been shy,” said Curley. “I’ve put myself in many different positions and scenarios to force myself to become better. I knew I was never good at dark photography, so like low lighting, and I made that my duty  for a whole semester to perfect it and be good at it.”

The stARTup Gallery was another way for Curley to put herself out there. Pitching ideas was something she had never done before, and she says the process helped her grow as a person and an artist.

“The stARTup Gallery was a super amazing experience…getting that first one out of the way was obviously super nerve-racking but it has only prepared me to do it again and again,” said Curley. “I’m definitely looking forward to doing it again next year.”

With the stARTup Gallery in the rearview, and coming face-to-face with her upcoming senior year, Curley leaves her fellow students, aspiring photographers, and artists with this piece of advice:

“You have no idea what you’re capable of,” said Curley. “Everyone always has so much room to grow and we don’t even know it. Don’t give up, and don’t be mean to yourself, I know that’s so hypocritical of me to say, I am my own worst critic–everything I produce I will find flaws in. Don’t be too harsh on yourself, also don’t go easy on yourself either, though. Know your worth and know that you can push yourself.”

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