Throughout her high school career, at Mayfield Senior School in Pasadena, Margaux Berger ‘23 said, “Photography is my favorite art because I have always loved the arts but I was never amazing at them the way I wanted to be or saw others be until photography. Her early experiences began as a model for her older sister. While she fell in love with photography, she most recently began to look into the world of cinematography. 

This love of photography began at a young age. As a middle child, Margaux has looked up to her older sister Brigitte throughout her entire life. She shared, “My sister, Brigitte, took photography at Mayfield so seeing her photos and sometimes being her model inspired me to begin photography”. 

Q: How has photography impacted your view on life?

I feel like I understand the world better when I am taking pictures because I am seeing it the way that I want to and want others to see it. This lets me create emotion and I mostly like to show happiness, but I will challenge myself from time to time and try to make people see my sadness. Besides all of the metaphorical parts of photography, sometimes I just want to take a pretty picture that doesn’t necessarily have any meaning behind it and those are the photos that affect my view on life.  

Q: What are your favorite photographs to capture?

My favorite photos to take though are raw moments. I enjoy showing a moment in time as it happens around me whether its happy or sad, melodramatic, boring, exciting, anything, I really love moments because it is something you lived and with a photo can look back on forever, but people in the future or even now can look in on my moments and see another life. 

Q: You have decided to help a close friend with her short film, why are you participating in this short film?

For fun mostly, I think it’ll be a fun creative outlet and a great way to explore more of this art. I would be ecstatic though if it happened to win anything at all. 

 It’s mostly a hobby right now, especially because this is the first time I have directed anything, but if I could make directing or cinematography my career it would be a dream. I am also very interested in science though and may go that direction for a career and if I do that I would love to continue cinematography and photography as a hobby. 

Q: What sparked your interest in cinematography?

What really got me to act on trying cinematography and directing though was reading books because I noticed that as I read I will imagine the story playing through my head – the shots I would make, how the framing would be, the light, mood, and emotions.

Q: How much time do you plan to dedicate to this project?

As much time as it takes to make it perfect. I want it to look good visually, but at the same time get all the shots down in the best way to express the emotion and the journey that this girl is taking so that it truly resonates with the audience.

Q: Who are your biggest inspirations or role models that serve as inspiration for you?

Damien Chazzelle is an amazing director and I think most people know him for La La Land, but his style is one that really inspires me and has influenced my own style I believe. 

The short film “The Lucky Number 7” is set to be completed by summer of 2022 featuring Margaux’s cinematographic visions.