Lindsay Wang won the Fujifilm Students of Storytelling competition for her work exploring the stories of graduating students—including herself—from Washington University in St. Louis’s Class of 2020. “College is over,” she says. “I want to know comes next for us, especially in a pandemic.”

Fujifilm created the contest to identify the next generation of U.S. storytellers, and to provide them with Fujifilm X Series or GFX System gear to bring their vision to life.

Rangefinder: What interests you as a storyteller? Which stories are you drawn to?

Lindsay Wang: Stories are powerful because they can connect people from all walks of life together. I find that a story only speaks to me if I can relate to the emotions of the characters and step into their shoes for the duration of the story. I’m interested in tapping into that emotion, rather than the smaller details, because emotion is both universal and timeless.

Rf: What stories do you want to share through your work?

LW: I am sharing stories from recent college graduates. I chose this narrative because it is the only one that I know how to tell honestly, since I too just graduated college. New grads are facing a transitional period in our lives that is normally already intimidating— leaving behind our college families, finding a first job, navigating the professional world, going to a new grad school, moving to a new city—we’re expected to have our shit together because we’re technically adults now. But we’re very new to this and there’s so much uncertainty that surrounds this transition. Now take all that uncertainty and then add the world coming to the screeching halt because of the Coronavirus. It’s just an extra level of chaos that inevitably leads to more anxiety, and I know that everyone from the Class of 2020 is experiencing it to some extent.

Rf: Describe the evolution of your style and approach. How has it changed over time? Why has it changed?

LW: I’ve been doing photography since I was about 15 years old, so my style hasn’t evolved so much as it has just improved. If you look at the portraits I shot seven years ago to the portraits I’m shooting now, you would notice that I’ve learned how to use light, how to get better angles, and how to pose my subjects. For the past couple of years in college, I’ve mostly done paid gigs for clients, such as professional headshots or graduation photos, so I was only focused on making the subject look their best. Being a part of the Fujifilm Students of Storytelling project has inspired me to take my photography to the next level, because I am now pushing for more interesting and artistic shots.

Rf: Who has influenced your work, and how?

LW: I have been very inspired by my fellow photographers in the Students of Storytelling program and I’m learning from them every day. They are each masters of their own craft, whether it’s food, street, or nature photography. There is so much to gain from their collective experiences in creating.

Rf: What are the key things you have learned or done that have helped you advance your career since you began shooting?

LW: The key thing is to get out there and keep shooting. I think some people think of photography as this technical puzzle that you can figure out in theory by studying aperture and shutter speed and buying the most expensive camera on the market. I feel like photography is more like a sport; in theory, you know how to throw the ball into the hoop, but you’ll only get there through lots of practice. There are so many parts of a good photograph that don’t involve the camera at all. After years and years of shooting portraits, I’ve slowly learned how to get my subjects to open up, how to prompt a smile that doesn’t seem forced, how to make them feel comfortable if they’re not used to being in front of a camera. Those kinds of lessons only come from practice and experience.

Rf: What is the most helpful piece of advice you’ve received and followed? Who gave it to you?

LW: The first time I was asked to shoot a wedding, I felt unqualified. I didn’t know whether I should say yes because I was nervous that I would mess it up since I had no experience. My boyfriend pointed out the obvious: “You’re never going to have experience if you keep thinking that way.” I decided to shoot the wedding, even though I had to fake a lot of my confidence that day. I realized that no progress can be made without risking failure.”

Rf: Your new work focuses on what comes next, is that a theme consistent throughout your photography?

LW: Interestingly, no. I think most of my photography has been focused on capturing a moment in the present, in order to preserve it for the future. This is my first time trying to use my lens and storytelling to describe anything beyond the here and now.

Rf: How have your studies affected your approach to photography and storytelling?

LW: I never studied photography formally, but I did minor in Design at the Sam Fox School of Art. Having that design background can sometimes inform how I think of a photo as I’m taking it. For example, it is generally assumed that you want a photo to be as clear as possible. However, if I know that I’m going for a vintage/faded overall aesthetic (like a retro postcard or something), then a little grain might actually be good. My studies in design and minimalism have also prompted me to be more intentional about negative space. For example, even if my subject is right in front of me, I might back up and capture the big empty blue sky behind them, so that your eye has to search a little to find the subject.

Rf: Can you tell us about your submission to Fujifilm’s Students of Storytelling program? How you came up with the project?

LW: I had just finished my last week of classes, ever, as a graduating senior at Washington University in St. Louis. It was supposed to be a month of “lasts,” of celebrations, of saying goodbye to the people who have become my best friends over the last four years. Instead, I was living in a small apartment with just my three roommates and was getting ready to return home to New Jersey. The next chapter of my life and my friends’ lives will be the most uncertain that it has ever been, so I wanted to use this opportunity of transition to document this pivotal moment for all of us. I was facing an uphill climb into the unknown and it’s a feeling that I thought a lot of people could relate to. I liked the challenge of trying to translate that emotion into imagery.

Rf: What works have you produced with your new Fujifilm systems?

LW: So far, I have interviewed and photographed three new graduates for this project. I’ve also been bringing my Fujfilm camera with me everywhere so I’ve been capturing the vivid colors of this summer, from fresh picked blueberries to the gorgeous sunsets I see on the lake near my house.

Rf: Where do you see your work going from here?

LW: One of the most valuable things I’m taking away from this experience is the ability to tell a story with my work. I will be traveling to Taiwan soon and I will be using my Fujifilm camera to capture my next four months there. Out of those photos, I hope to develop a narrative that can speak to my followers. Beyond that, I just hope to keep taking photos for art’s sake, and not get too bogged down by trying to please a certain client or company.

Rf: Which brand, media outlet or agency is your ideal client? And why?

LW: I love the way that Patagonia does their social media, which focuses more on the company’s mission and the people who use their products rather than the products themselves. I would love to shoot for them, because it seems like I would get to meet extraordinary people and see beautiful sights. In an ideal world, National Geographic would also be an amazing company for whom to shoot because I love to travel, explore, and meet new people. I also love animals, and I’ve always wanted to get into wildlife photography, but I’ve never taken that leap as of yet.

Visit the official Fujifilm Students of Storytelling site for more information about the complete program. Follow @lindsay.athena to stay up to date with Lindsay Wang.