While everyone else is busy living the moment, junior Lipi Shah is the one making sure it never gets forgotten. At football games, school events and even quiet moments in between, Shah is not in the background. She is watching closely, camera in her hands, waiting for something authentic to happen. The kind of moment people do not plan, but remember later. 

For Shah, it is not just about taking pictures. It is about capturing what something actually feels like in that moment. 

“The thing that made me fall in love with photography is the people that taught me,” Shah said.

Shah did not always see herself this way. Before high school, Shah said she was not very involved in school events and did not go out of her way to be part of things. That changed during her freshman year when she joined The RoundUp, the school’s newspaper. That decision ended up shaping everything. 

“I really wanted to be more involved in school,” Shah said. “So, I talked to my brother and he was like, ‘Oh, let me introduce you to one of my friends, Juhi, who takes photos for our newspaper.’ And so, he introduced me to her and then me and Juhi just kind of hit it off. And that’s how I started.”

Meeting mentors like former journalism teacher David Clayton and other student photographers, Shah said, made her feel connected and excited to learn. What started as a new hobby quickly became personal, and over time, something she could not see herself without.

“Photography is all about perspective and the way I see the image behind the lens,” Shah said.

Outside of photography, Shah describes herself as someone who enjoys trying new things and stepping out of her comfort zone. She loves being outdoors, best expressed in her involvement in Girl Scouts.

“I love exploring new places,” Shah said. “I love camping, going on walks, and just being outside.”

Shah also enjoys reading and watching movies. She said these interests shape how she sees the world and the way she captures moments through her camera.

“My goal is to tell the real story of high school, because high school is different for everyone,” Shah said. “Everyone experiences different things. So there’s really no real story, if that makes sense. It’s just all about perspective…It’s raw. Everything is candid. I’m not staging anything when I take photos.”

Shah said photography has changed the way she experiences high school. Instead of being just another student in the crowd, she gets access to moments most people do not. She has taken photos at various school events, including the Special Education department’s Succeeding in Academic and Independent Living Skills (SAILS) Spelling Bee and prom, something usually reserved for seniors.

“It gives me opportunities that not all kids get,” Shah said. “I got to skip school for a couple of days, because I was out taking photos for a band and…for the athletic trainers. So it is a little bit different because I get to do cool things that not everyone else can do.” 

Still, being behind the camera is not always easy. While everyone else is enjoying the moment together, she is often by herself, focused on capturing it.

“It’s a bit of a unique experience,” Shah said. “It can be a little bit lonely, but it’s also really rewarding.”

That balance is something that shows up in her personality too. Shah said she likes pushing herself, trying new things and seeing situations from different perspectives. Photography also reflects who she is, by showing her view of the world. 

“It shows people my perspective on life,” Shah said. 

Shah’s teachers have noticed her growth mindset as well. English 4 and Yearbook teacher Fay Mayo said Shah stands out not only because of her talent, but because of her determination and willingness to grow.

“She has always known what she wanted to do,” Mayo said. “She sought the advice, she sought the support… she was just very determined.”

Mayo said that Shah is always looking for ways to improve, whether it is through photography or other skills like writing, something Shah herself said she wants to get better at if she had more time.

“I mostly do photography right now and I’d love to get more into writing and just learn more about different writing styles and different tips and tricks,” Shah said. 

That determination shows in the way she approaches her work. Shah said she prefers taking candid photos instead of posed ones because they feel more real. She explained that simple moments, like a quick smile, someone giving a compliment or a hug when someone is having a bad day, are the ones that matter the most. Those small moments show people’s true emotions and tell a more honest story of what high school is really like.

“There’s more beauty in simple photos,” Shah said. “It shows the true character of the situation and all the raw emotions of that photo.” 

U.S. History teacher Andrew Haney said Shah’s work ethic reflects that same level of dedication, describing Shah as one of the strongest students he has. 

“The passion she puts into her photography really shows the kind of passion she has for life overall,” Haney said 

At the same time, Haney described Shah as “hard-headed,” explaining that she reminds him of himself because she is determined to do things her way. Rather than seeing that as a negative, he said it is part of what makes her stand out.

“It’s either her way or the highway sometimes,” Haney said. 

Through photography, Shah said she has also been able to connect with people on a deeper level. While taking photos and interviewing classmates, she has noticed things others might not, like athletes praying before games or families celebrating together after big moments.

“I feel like I get to connect with people more,” Shah said. “While I’m interviewing them or while I’m taking photos of them, I can see what they really are like.”

Some of those moments have stayed with Shah long after the shutter click. One of her favorite photos was of a football player praying in the end zone, something she said showed a side of people that is not always visible. Another was during a spelling bee, where she captured students celebrating while their families and teachers filled the room with support and pride. She said those are the kinds of moments she wants to remember.

“There was just so much love in that room,” Shah said. “That’s what I want to capture.”

Even though people usually only see the final photo, Shah said there is a lot more work behind it than most realize. After every event, she spends hours going through photos, deleting the unnecessary ones, editing those she hopes to keep and making sure everything looks the way she wants.

“There’s a lot of work behind every photo,” Shah said. “I do feel a little bit of pressure because, again, you have no idea how many people are looking at your photos.”

Shah said that she tries to post her photos quickly because students want to see them, but she also wants to make sure they are high quality. This process takes up a lot of her free time, but it is something she takes seriously.

“I take my photos and I post them on The RoundUp, but I have no idea just how many people are looking at them and where they’re being used,” Shah said. “It could be used for a kid’s Instagram or it could be used for a kid’s sports profile. You never know exactly where your photos are going to be and you never know who’s going to see them.”

Photography has also helped Shah become more confident. It has taught her how to communicate, ask questions and put herself in situations where she has to speak up and take initiative.

“You have to ask a lot of questions,” Shah said. “You have to know what’s going on at all times and reach out to people. I’ve really learned how to communicate with others and how to get my point across.” 

Mayo said she believes Shah has strong potential to continue photography in the future, even if it does not become her main career as a photographer. 

“If she doesn’t want to do that as a profession, I hope that she continues to do that as a hobby,” Mayo said. “Maybe that could be her side hustle because I know she will be very successful at it.”

For Shah, photography is not just about what is happening in front of the camera. It is about the feeling behind it, the people in it and the story it tells. Even after the moment is gone, her photos are what make sure it is never completely lost. More than anything, Shah said her goal is  to have people be able to look back at her photos and feel the same emotions they felt in that moment.

“I want them to relive the memories they saw when they were in that photo,” Shah said. “The main reason I take photos is to create memories for people to look back on. When you’re in a moment and once that moment’s gone, you have no other way of reliving it except from photos.”