Phone:
802 989 2361
Email:
Address:
1170 Popes Valley Dr.
Colorado Springs, CO 80919
Emma Powell
Visual Storyteller | Photographer
Cover Letter
Dear Jenny Koch, Rachel Wright, and the hiring committee,
As a professional photographer with additional design and video editing experience, I am confident that my extensive visual imaging knowledge and diverse capabilities in media production make me an ideal candidate to join your team. This position is a unique opportunity to utilize the skills I have developed for a purpose while encouraging my love of animals. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has been a destination that I have enjoyed since I moved to Colorado Springs in 2014. As Visual Media Coordinator, I would be honored to contribute to your success.
Over ten years as a visual artist and educator, I have developed in-depth knowledge of the Adobe Creative Suite. I have taught advanced Photoshop techniques, InDesign, and Illustrator at the college level. It is important to me to increase my knowledge of imaging applications as they evolve. Learning new programs does not intimidate me. I can research and convey technical procedures quickly. Editing digital imagery is one of my strengths. Whether it is to enhance a natural-looking scene or to composite multiple images into an illustration or design, I have proven skills. As a photographer and artist, I am comfortable with accurate digital output in both web and print environments. In previous positions, I have worked with imaging databases and stock image platforms.
My strong aesthetic instinct and knowledge of camera functions enhance my filming abilities. I am comfortable with video editing software such as Adobe Premiere Pro and iMovie. Most recently, I used Premiere Pro to edit a series of training presentations for art conservators for MS Art Conservation. In my free time, I have built an Instagram hub based on a specific genre of photography. This project has given me experience with social media systems and the power of posting regularly, collaborating, and encouraging engagement. I am excited to reach out and communicate with your enthusiastic community and share my passion for animals.
As many are doing, I have been searching for a new professional environment. I am excited to pivot from academia in favor of a position where I can work on distinct projects and be a member of an energetic team. As you can see in my portfolio, animals fascinate me. I adore the opportunity to photograph animals and the people who support them. I am drawn to this position because I am eager for a role where I can be of service and work as part of a team that is excited about what they do.
Sincerely,
Emma Powell
Education
2022
Photoshop Certification
Adobe Certified Professional
Adobe Certified Professional in Visual Design using Adobe Photoshop. This is an industry-recognized credential that validates proficiency in Creative Cloud software through rigorous live-in-the-app exams.
2008-2010
MFA - Photography
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester Institute of Technology is a leading school for photography. Kodak was founded in Rochester, NY, and has had ties to the school from the beginning. During this time, I focused on technical aspects of photography, such as lighting and composition, as well as concept and storytelling within my photographs. I also took courses in moving-image using Adobe Premiere Pro.
2004-2008
BA - Studio Art
The College of Wooster
The College of Wooster is a small liberal arts college where I studied art, photography, film, and many other areas. I took courses in Adobe Photoshop and learned to make complex composite images.
Most Relevant Work Experience
2021-2022
Consultant
ZoneFive & MS Art Conservation
As a consultant and conservation assistant, I worked on organizing and preserving historic photographs. I also designed Adobe Photoshop and Camera Raw instructional workflows for conservation. I designed and recorded presentations for conservation using Adobe Premiere Pro.
2020-2021
Curator/Faculty Curator
Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center
I was hired by the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center for several specific projects. I researched examined and cataloged the museum's entire photography collection. I also worked as a curatorial consultant on two exhibitions: Ansel Adams Masterworks, and Eugène Atget: Photographing Paris, 1898–1925. For these exhibitions, I worked on image selection and other curatorial concerns, contributed to the exhibition text, and designed graphics and text for educational materials. I later was hired to curate the exhibition Brett Weston: Working Towards Abstraction by myself. I also produced exhibition documentation photographs of several exhibitions for the museum.
2014-2020
Assistant Professor of Art
Colorado College
As a college professor at Colorado College, I taught all the basics of photography and darkroom processes. My courses included instruction in advanced Adobe Photoshop techniques as well as Camera Raw and Adobe Bridge. I also taught Introduction to Two-Dimensional Art which covered the fundamentals of design and introduced Adobe InDesign and Adobe Illustrator. At CC I developed a course called Photography and the Environment, which involved field trips including to the Cheyenne Moutain Zoo, the Denver Botanic Gardens, and into the field with a geology class.
2011-2014
Lecturer & Artist in Residence
Iowa State University
At Iowa State University, I was in charge of teaching all of the photography courses including camera operations, darkroom, and alternative photographic processes. I also taught Introduction to Computer Art including digital editing in Adobe Photoshop as well as an introduction to Adobe InDesign and Adobe Illustrator.
2010-2011
Graphic Designer
Addison Independent Newspaper
Middlebury, VT
After graduate school, I was hired as a graphic designer for a small newspaper. I worked created Ad design and layout using Adobe InDesign and Illustrator.
Volunteer Projects
2016-2022
Happy Cats Haven
I have a lifelong love of animals, especially cats. I started as a volunteer by fostering cats and kittens in my home for Happy Cats Haven. After moving to a house that doesn't accommodate kittens. I help by editing the photographs for their website.
2020
Production Leader
Project PPE at Colorado College
During the start of the pandemic and lockdown, there was a severe shortage of protective equipment for front-line workers. I worked with two other faculty members and a small band of students to use the resources we had to make face shields which we donated to local emergency workers. We also donated a large number to the Navajo Nation who were particularly hard hit by Covid at the time. I was in charge of the Covid shield design (in Adobe Illustrator), and ran the laser cutter to produce the face-shield part of the design.
