STORIES OF A PHOTO JOURNAL
Kailee Parsons
Following on from Tristan’s introduction as a new Editor-in-Chief in Issue 7 of PRISMA, I thought now would be a good time to introduce myself. My name is Kailee and I am one of two Photography Editors at PRISMA, having joined the team this past July. I have the happy task of liaising with photographers from around the world to organise upcoming content and edit copy to ensure that photo stories look their best. This means that I am not only inspired by incredible photography on a daily basis, but also that I get to be part of the process through which this photography reaches a wider audience. I speak for the entirety of the PRISMA team when I say that I hope you will enjoy the photography within the pages of this magazine and their accompanying stories as much as I do, and as much as I have enjoyed bringing them to you. I am a recent English literature graduate from the University of St Andrews, where I met both of PRISMA’s Editors-in-Chief through our mutual love of student theatre (I can only guess that arts-related hobbies often overlap).
I was a writer before I ever was a photographer or a theatre-maker, but I know these passions stem from the same place: a love of storytelling, and more specifically, of capturing fleeting moments in order to share them with others. I touched upon these passions in a previous article for PRISMA, ‘Capturing Everyday Beauty’, where I talked about the beginning of my journey with photography. For as long as I can remember, I’ve enjoyed taking pictures with my phone camera and a little point and shoot, but in 2017 I made several friends who were talented photographers. I found myself enthralled with their ability to capture small yet intricate moments that even in writing and theatre are elusive and gone in an instant—they can be reexperienced, but not paused to admire. I was enchanted by my friend’s film camera, which bore the words, ‘Learn to stop time’ in stickers on the side. That was exactly what they were doing, I thought: stopping time. I saved up for a second-hand DSLR camera the following year, and a few months later, I was lucky enough to find a film camera at a yard sale in perfect condition. I began to teach myself to stop time, using every means available.
Later that year, I spent a week at Camp Moran on Orcas Island, my childhood summer sanctuary. Despite the similarity to the animal commonly associated with Washington state, the spelling is merely a coincidence; Orcas is pronounced ‘OR-kes’, being a shortened version of the name ‘Horcasitas’ belonging to the Viceroy of New Spain, who sent an exploration expedition to the Pacific Northwest in 1791. Moran State Park is the largest public recreation area in the San Juan Islands, and the largest State Park in Washington.
Aside from my current home in Scotland, Orcas Island is one of my favourite places in the world, and is one of the few places outside photographs that time stops. Only reachable by ferry, the campgrounds of Orcas Island are completely surrounded by nature. At Camp Moran, I feel more peace than almost anywhere else. In these photos, I wanted to capture the stillness and quietude that my time on Orcas Island has afforded me. Write a bit more here about the photos!
The wonderful thing about photography is that it is really possible to learn to work magic. Within the pages of this magazine, you will observe moments that were thoughtfully captured just for you. Then, if you are inspired by what you see, you, too, can learn to learn to stop time.
Happy reading!
This article first appeared in PRISMA, Issue 9.