A little bit about the photographer... Jen Drader

My degree in Neuroscience has truly helped me develop as a photographer.  Well, maybe not directly.  But over the four years I spent working toward my degree I really got to know photography.  And I fell in love with it.

To me, a great photo is right up there with that song you can’t help but sing along to, driving with the windows down, Jamba’s Mango-a-go-go™, no traffic on the 405, and my mom’s hysterical laughter.  When you see that perfect picture, you get a warm, tingly feeling inside (at least it has that effect on me).

Not everyone shares my love of light, but it can be stunning.  My favorites include sunlight, lamp light, speed lights, candle light, and any combination of these is great.  Oh, and shade! Light is wonderful - but when it's indirect - that is heaven.  I love the way light can fall on someone and make them look absolutely radiant.  One truly beautiful light is the one that each person shines – the light that glows from the bride on her wedding day, the beams that radiate from a player after a hard-fought win, or the brilliance of a genuine smile or a candid laugh.

That breathtaking warmth in a picture is why I love photography.  And when you see it, you have to shoot! Aside from the more common photos of faces and places, I’ve been compelled to take pictures of feet, phrases, power drills, rain, and other charming everyday objects.  Truly, I have come to learn that beauty can be found wherever you dare to look.

I am so thankful for the places photography has taken me, and the people I've met along the way.  While attending UCLA as an undergrad I had the opportunity to work as a photographer (and later photo editor and senior photographer) for the UCLA Daily Bruin.  There I met and photographed nationally recognized student athletes, highly talented musicians and actors, an inspirational 96 year old World War II veteran, a couple (UCLA alumni) who survived scuba diving during the tsunami in Thailand in 2004, and a spirited homeless man whose (street) name is Linsday, just to name a few.  Sports photography took me on some great trips, including the poolside seat where I got to see UCLA win their 100th NCAA title.  Women's water polo made history, and I got to be a part of it, with a centerpiece in the LA Times.  In my senior year, I was honored to be named Photographer of the Year by the Daily Bruin.

Another great place that photography took me was teaching.  Instructing an introductory digital photography class at the UCLA John Wooden Center was an exciting and rewarding opportunity to stir up a passion for photography in others.