Aria Bent, a senior at Camas High School (CHS), captures all of Camas through her lens. As the photography manager of the yearbook class and a small business owner, she is the epitome of student photography at CHS.
Through Bent’s business, Aria in Focus, she captures seniors, families, and sports at low prices compared to other local photographers.
“[Photography] is something [I have been] really really interested in ever since I joined yearbook and began to take photos with professional cameras,” Bent said. “I realized I would love to incorporate photography into my future career, so I decided that I should jump start that by making a business.”
“Not only did she work on her photography skills and leadership skills, she started a business,” Brian Gage, CHS website design teacher and yearbook photographer, said.
As a young and friendly business owner, Bent can further connect with her customers, creating a more comfortable environment for their photo shoots.
“It’s impressive to be in the presence of such an innovative photographer that knows what she’s doing at a young age,” CHS senior Brandon Palma said. “Knowing Aria as a peer made me more comfortable when she took my senior photos.”
In addition to owning a business, Bent is the photography manager of the CHS yearbook class, where she manages a camera cabinet with five professional cameras. She also leads in taking photos for many sports and activities; from being on the sidelines of football games to various assemblies and dances, Bent is always on the lookout for an opportunity to shoot photos.
“Coming into class with Aria as my photography supervisor is always so reassuring because I know I can trust that she will provide me with guidance and knowledge as I try and figure out what I’m doing,” junior Lachlan Morris said. “She always provides super helpful advice and overall benefits my experience in yearbook.”
Bent started photography when she was very young and plans to continue her career in the future, even considering making her senior project focus on photography.
“I’ve been into photography since the third grade, I asked for a little camera for Christmas, and I took a bunch of pictures, kind of like the ones you see as computer backgrounds,” Bent said.
After high school, Bent plans on going to college in Hawaii and majoring in marine biology. She also wants to work as a photographer for National Geographic and possibly take photos underwater.
“I wanna make an impact on how others see the world and I want my photos to tell a story that viewers will carry with them,” Bent said.
