Meet photographer Sienna Ferraro Shiblie, a senior Sociology major at JMU. She is excited to display her original Annapolis bay photos. Welcome to “Summer by the Bay” in the Airport Lounge. “These photos capture the colors of Annapolis in the summer from the flag to the little shops and the water,” says Sienna. “It’s all so vibrant.”

Sienna said she worked in Annapolis over the summer and spent a lot of time at the bay. “I got to capture what it looks like to live by the water,” she says. “The boats on the bay, the downtown area of Annapolis, and the vibe of taking things slow. Ever since I was little I would always spend time down there. I think it’s really cool I got to take some photos now that I’m old enough to have the skills to take photos.” Annapolis clearly has a special place in her life, and Sienna is excited to share that with the James Madison University community. “Capturing a moment in time takes you back to what happened at that moment, and you have that forever.”

Sienna first started taking photos when she got her first smartphone. “I would take pictures all the time. In high school, I worked on the yearbook and by college, I was taking [photography] more seriously.” She works on campus now for Student Affairs Communications and Marketing as a Photographer. “I think when I started working here and getting to know the branches of the university and making connections outside of photography—getting to know the people individually—that really pulled me into the people aspect [of photography].” She says one of her favorite parts of photography is working with her clients.

Another aspect of photography that she enjoys is “the emotions that come out of a photo.” Sienna enjoys looking back at photos of her life because of this. “That's such a big thing. Besides memory, photography is the number one way to look back.”

Sienna hopes that when people look at her photos they can see the difference between the way JMU students live in the mountains and those who live by the water. She also hopes these bright, sunny pictures will remind the audience as fall ends and winter begins that “summer is approaching still.”

View the full collection