Coffey's Fishing for Love is Enchanting
Caroline Coffey has many talents, including using a camera to capture enchanting images. One of those photos earned the Huntington High School senior a Best in Show Award at the Long Island Media Arts Show at Five Towns College in Dix Hills.
The dynamic teenager's award winning photo depicts a young woman in a semi-kneeling position on a dock while dangling a branch with a heart tied to the end of a fishing line.
The photo comes from an AP course concentration of work created by Ms. Coffey. "My concentration starts off as hearts and progresses to the ideas of love and compassion," she said.
"Caroline is an all-around great girl," said teacher Pam Piffard, who heads Huntington's photography program. "She is hard working, creative and always exploring new ideas. Caroline is in AP-2D. Her concentration is love. The photos represent both emotional love as well as the symbolic love that is represented with the iconic heart. I am very proud of all of her accomplishments."
The intriguing "Fishing for Love" photo was taken from one of the Huntington Yacht Club's floating docks. "It conveys the idea of someone hoping to find romance," Ms. Coffey said.
Huntington Class of 2012 member Bianca Irrobino, who is now a freshman at New York University, is the model in the photo. "She is the best sport," Ms. Coffey said. "It may look like a nice, sunny day in the picture, but it was below freezing and very windy!"
Ms. Coffey is one of Huntington High School's top young photographers. "Most of the pictures I take are based in Huntington," she said. "I'm inspired by my surroundings and love finding different ways to use the environment in each image. I love living near Huntington Harbor and the beaches that come along with it, so I wanted to incorporate the water into my photo. I can often be found at West Neck Beach at the end of the day taking pictures of the sunset!"
The senior said she had a "great time" at the LI Media Arts Show. Of course, winning a Best in Show Award helped make the event even more memorable. "Creating an image out of something I love and finding a way to make it fit into my concentration or final project is what I find fun and interesting about photography," Ms. Coffey said. "This class gives me the opportunity to shoot what I'm attracted to and then add a creative component that relates to a specific topic."
An exceptional student with an array of talents, Ms. Coffey is an articulate young woman with a close-knit circle of friends. "Photography is one of my favorite hobbies," she said. "Whenever I feel overwhelmed with school or my life, taking pictures is something that always relaxes me and makes me feel better."