Student Union

© 2001, Nicole Schneider, All Rights Reserved

Grand Valley
State University
Allendale, Michigan

© 2001, Kyle Kalm, All Rights Reserved

Look, See
Currently
Kyle recently graduated Grand Valley State with a Bachelor of Science in photography.

The School
"It's a four-year program that starts with the basics and moves on to more advanced studies. The higher you go, the ideas get more conceptual."

Black And White World
"At the start I knew I liked black and white, but I wasn't communicating exactly what I wanted, so it was frustrating. I kind of let it go, then came back to it and was able to get what I wanted. I credit one of my teachers, David Plowden, with teaching me how to look, to think carefully, to make the photograph before I even use the camera. He said there are more photographs that should be taken mentally than with a camera."

Goals
"First to continue the Honey Creek project, which was my senior thesis. I've done winter and spring and want to finish the cycle of documenting the creek. Ultimately I want to be a professional photographer. I hope to be able to continue to photograph the landscape for exhibits, books, and editorial projects."

Influences
"Eliot Porter, David Plowden, Ansel Adams, Harry Callahan, and Paul Caponigro."

The Thesis Project
"In winter Honey Creek is such a silent, still, peaceful place. In spring it comes to life again and is so uplifting. The project was to document the creek for a year. The larger idea was to get people to slow down and look at the things around them, places like this creek, and not be so quick to destroy them."

Kyle Kalm was recommended to us by David Plowden, visiting professor of photography at Grand Valley State University.

Do you know a student whose work deserves attention? If so, contact our editorial department by e-mail: editorial@shutterbug.net or call (321) 269-3212.