Picture this: Sjaastad and Barkwell capture the community

Lucy Thomas, Opinions Editor • September 28, 2023

Looking for professional-grade photos for a fraction of the price? Starlight Portraiture is a business run by students Taylor Barkwell and Elliot Sjaastad. The pair takes professional photos of other students, specializing in senior photos. The business started from the original budding photo company of Elliot Sjaastad, and Taylors’ experience taking her sister’s senior photos. Their “mind child” as Bridget Keel calls it, developed itself into Starlight Portraiture.

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Starlight Portraiture underbids the other common senior photo businesses and they charge $250 for an array of edited photos.

Senior Bridget Keel got her photos taken by Barkwell and Sjaastad. She was originally alarmed when she realized that the senior photos are upwards 800$ and was happy to find that her friends started a more affordable choice. She got her photos taken with a nighttime cityscape, with colorful lighting choices. Keel was delighted. “They turned out really good,” she said. She got 12 edited photos that she is excited to use for Instagram, the yearbook, and possibly in later years. She was also impressed by the skillfulness of the duo and surprised by the amount of “equipment that goes into this professional-grade photography.” Taylor Barkwell commented on the session saying, “Bridget’s session was more artistic and nontraditional. We were really happy with the results.”

Other recipients of the student business were similarly impressed. Junior Maddie Pierce got her photos taken in August. She said, “They… know their stuff,” and that the duo works together seamlessly for their different strengths in photography. She didn’t get pictures for senior photos, but rather a professional photography session for her Instagram. Dylan Bump, a junior, also got photos taken over the summer, echoing that they were very professional and that he approved of the results.

The duo is run from the Instagram handle @starlight_portraiture, and they are reachable through DMs.

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