The university’s Communications team recently added a staff photographer to their ranks. Annie Barker, who grew up in Lansing and studied photography at Michigan State University, most recently worked as a staff photographer for the Everett Herald in metropolitan Seattle. Take a look at Barker’s portfolio and it’s obvious she has a special talent for creating photos that reveal people’s personalities, quirks, values and senses of humor. As we learned in our recent Q&A with Barker, that’s something that doesn’t happen by accident. Below is Communications Writer Lou Blouin’s conversation with Barker, which covers everything from her impressions of campus so far to her ambivalence about the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics.
Members of the campus community with photo needs can send inquiries to Digital Marketing Manager Kathryn Bourlier at [email protected].
So you just moved back from Washington state in August, and I know homecomings can be tricky. How does it feel being back so far?
I really loved being in Washington state. I mean, it’s beautiful, there are nice people, there’s really good food. The “Seattle freeze” definitely exists a little bit, which is this idea that out-of-towners aren’t exactly welcome. Like, in Seattle, they have this weird cultural thing where it’s frowned upon to use an umbrella, the way that little kids do when they are too cool to wear a coat.
So if you’re walking around with an umbrella, it’s basically advertising that you're a transplant?
Exactly. I just got to the point where I didn’t even try. I don’t like being wet all the time! But even though it was a fun place to live, the whole time I was there, I still had this itch to come home. I feel like it’s easy to get used to your surroundings, and I didn’t appreciate the landscape in Michigan like I am right now. Seriously, I’m looking at the cornfields and I’m, like, ‘Wow, cornfields, they’re so beautiful,’ which sounds so silly. I think I’m a little caught up in the warmth and nostalgia of it all.
And you were working for a newspaper out there. How did you like that?
I think what I liked best is just the random situations you would find yourself in. There was very little planning. I think my very first day at the paper, they were doing a story about grants for farmers, and they wanted me to go take photos of these Highland cattle at this farm or they wouldn't have anything for a Saturday. And I kind of wanted to go to this rodeo. And rodeo isn’t really my thing, and I don’t really even agree with the ethics of rodeo. But I really like talking to people to see what’s important to them.
Yeah, you can really see that in a lot of your photos. Like, I feel like I can make up a little story about a person just from a single image. There’s something really essential you’re capturing about their personality or their values. Can you talk a little bit about how you make that happen?
Number one, I want to make a nice photo that represents the person and is enjoyable to look at — something they might want to hold on to and look back at as a part of their history. So, what you said, if you feel like you can connect with a person through a photo, I feel like I’m doing my job. Honestly, it’s a lot of just walking up to people and asking them if they have a minute and finding a way to have a little conversation. Seven times out of 10, I might not have anything in common with the person, but we still find something to talk about.
You have so many amazing shots in your portfolio. Can you pick out a couple and tell us about them?
Well, I know you have a favorite with the kid and the fan. I have a favorite with the girl and the goats. With the photo of the goats, we were just playing Wiffle ball with some friends and people in my photography program, and the goats had wandered their way into the field. And I was kind of seeing this photo happen, and my friend was seeing me see this photo happen. And he was, like, “You gotta go now!” I ran and got my camera, trying to adjust my settings as the goats are running through this field, and I’m praying because I know my gear isn't good. And I was so scared to look at this photo because I was sure it wasn’t going to be the image I had in my head. I really like this one because I love photographing joy, I love nostalgia and I love summer. And I feel like it can take you to a place where maybe you haven’t been, but you can relate to in some capacity. Like maybe you're a city person, but I feel like this photo just speaks to what summer is and a moment of joy you had when you were younger.
And, yes, please tell us about the girl with the fan.
Well, a lot of photography is trying to make something really mundane seem visually interesting, or letting you see something you normally wouldn’t see. And for this photo, I was just spending time with her and two of her sisters as they were waiting for their dad to finish working at a brewery. And she was so excited to show me what she did; I think she was trying to explain Minecraft to me or something. And I loved how confident she was, and that moment just sort of happened as we were hanging out.
And if I can add my own take: I mean, on its own, it’s a beautiful and also a kind of funny image. But I think this is one of those shots where the caption really adds a lot. Like, you learn that she’s waiting for her dad, and this photo totally captures this kind of parenting moment. Like, the dad isn’t pictured. He’s literally absent, or somewhere else. And as a new parent, I am learning there are times when you need your kids to just sort of rally and entertain themselves when you’re busy, and they have to fight the boredom by making up a game or being silly.
Yeah, that’s cool that you noticed that. I think that also shows how you’re doing your thing as a photographer, but the viewer also adds their own meaning. Like, I’m not a parent, so I might not see that the same way you did.
I know you’ve only been on campus for a few weeks, but what are your observations of UM-Dearborn?
It’s cool seeing how much school spirit there is. I’d never been on a commuter campus, but students were really turning out for Homecoming. People are very passionate and confident about what they’re doing. And people seem really close here. Like, you see the connections between faculty and students and staff. It feels like the right place for me to be.
And I know you’re still probably getting settled after your move, but other than photography, what are you doing with your time?
That’s a good question. I’m trying to think of something to say that’s not super nerdy.
Nerdy is OK.
Maybe it’s because I’m back in the place where I grew up and I’m feeling that nostalgia, but I’m really looking forward to the new media with Scooby-Doo and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I had a TMNT birthday when I was 5. So I’m all in. The new comics, I guess each of the turtles is getting their own back story. Honestly, I don’t know how I feel about that. They seem like such a unit. But now that the weather is changing, I’m looking forward to reading the comics, watching the new movies and just getting cozy for fall.
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Interview by Lou Blouin
