WILKES-BARRE — Katie Senunas wants people who view her photographs to see what she has seen.
Senunas, 24, of Wilkes-Barre, will showcase her photographs of landscapes and nature scenes from Feb. 27 through March 24 in an exhibition titled Through My Eyes in the Widmann Gallery at King’s College.
A 2014 King’s graduate, Senunas began dabbling in photography while engaged in courses in environmental studies, which included outdoor field trips.
“It started with a trip to the Adirondacks my junior year,” Senunas said. “I took my camera with me, and every chance I got when I wasn’t having to pay attention to my teacher, I would take photos of wherever we were.”
Her skills, she said, sharpened while visiting the Chesapeake Bay area in her senior year.
Senunas had opportunities to show her work at Wilkes-Barre’s Marquis Art & Frame in 2012 and Kingston’s Something Special in 2014.
“This is my first opportunity with King’s, so I’m really excited to do it, because I’m an alumna,” Senunas said.
Senunas will discuss her work during a reception that will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. March 3 in the Widmann Gallery.
Senunas said she secured the opportunity to show at King’s by reaching out to the gallery director and that the college, in general is responsive to working with alumni.
“They really keep in touch with their students, because it’s a small school,” Senunas said. “Everybody keeps in touch with their professors, even after they’ve graduated. I’ve stayed in touch with a few of mine, and I’m really lucky to exhibit my stuff here. I can’t wait.”
The subject matter for the Widmann Gallery exhibit is comprised of shots from Yellowstone National Park, which is mostly in Wyoming but touches Montana and Idaho as well, and several Pennsylvania state parks.
“I went to Montana two years ago, and one of the places I was dying to see was Yellowstone,” Senunas said. “I took a few of my favorite photos from there, the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and a few of the natural geysers throughout the park.”
Senunas said images from Ricketts Glen also play a big part in the show.
“It’s a lot of waterfalls, a lot of patterns and flowers,” Senunas said. “I hope people like it. It’s my work that I really enjoy.”
Senunas said landscapes and nature scenes have been the basis of all three of her exhibitions thus far.
“This is pretty much my specialty,” she said. “This is kind of my comfort zone, so I’m staying within it for now. As I continue my education in photography, I’ll definitely be stepping out of that.”
Senunas plans to matriculate at the New England School of Professional Photography in Boston in the fall where she’s thinking about studying editorial and corporate photography which examines photography as a means of communication in print and web-based publications.
Senunas said she thinks working for magazine might be fun, but it’s not all that interests her.
“I like architecture,” she said. “I like to photograph buildings … and I think doors are cool.”
In the meantime, Senunas is excited about the prospect of showcasing work in her wheelhouse.
“I try to work hard to see something original and make it my own,” Senunas said. “If (viewers are) looking at a certain waterfall, or if they’re looking at the photo I took standing right above the Canyon, I want them to feel like they were standing next to me when I was taking the photograph.”
“I want them to feel like they’re there.”
