When some people think of Alaska they may think of a cold, icy and barren land, but according to UW-La Crosse Senior Ashley Kalbus “that’s not what it is at all.” Instead, she described it as being very “serene.” Kalbus took a four-month trip to Alaska last summer on an International Youth Exchange Program through the Lions Club with youth from 13 different countries. Some of the pictures that she took are now part of her exhibit, “Land of the Midnight Sun,” located in Alice Hager Curriculum Center on the second floor of Murphy Library. The exhibit was put up in February and will be taken down at the end of the semester in May.

Kalbus is a Communications major with an emphasis in broadcasting and digital photography and a minor in Photography. The exhibit was part of an Independent Study she did with Kathleen Hawkes, a UW-L professor. The exhibit shows the different lighting and weather that she saw in Alaska. There are 21 photos in her exhibit which represent the 21 hours of daylight Alaskan summers have on average per day. Kalbus took around 7,000 photos all together, and it took her 6 months to go through photos, edit, print and mount them.

Kalbus’ inspiration for her exhibition was based on the fact that Alaska is one of the most untouched places of the world, and she wanted to capture what it’s really like there. She didn’t know going into her trip what her exhibit was going to be, but when she came back and started editing, there were ones she knew she wanted in the show. Her favorite part about photography is that she can see the world differently. “Through photography you notice certain things you wouldn’t normally. I notice light, especially, and I think that’s why my show turned into something about light,” she said.

Kalbus is, also, working on a photography book titled “Life in a Small Town,” as of now. The photos in this documentary capture subjects such as hunting, fishing and a small drive-in located in her hometown. She has been working on this for two years and hopes to have it completed and possibly published by the time she graduates next year.

She is uncertain whether she will try to do another exhibition for next year. However, she is going back to Alaska this summer and living with the host family she stayed with on her previous trip. “I might work on another project while I’m there,” Kalbus said. Otherwise, she will just focus on her book.

Her advice to anyone who wants to go into photography is to start with a film class. She said, “I don’t think having a camera makes you a photography. Photography is an art. So, take a class where you have to do everything rather than just relying on a digital camera. That way you can appreciate it more.”

Kalbus took her first photography class in high school, fell in love and now hopes to further her career in either photography or media after school.