Jenny Risher

Clean. Cool. Colorful. Rarely could an image of a glass of milk evoke such description -unless it has been photographed by Jenny Risher.

Whether she is finishing up a fashion photo shoot at NOHO studio in New York City or creating a fine art composition for her environmental series, Risher expresses a subject's natural beauty with the click of a button - and some clever lighting techniques she learned at CCS.

"The most exciting time in my career was when I looked up and saw five billboards I photographed up in Times Square at the same time," said Risher.

As a photography student, Risher developed close relationships with peers and her professors. The small student-to-instructor ratio led to close interaction with faculty on a daily basis and the overall experience provided a network of professional peers upon graduation.

"After four years, I developed bonds with faculty and my classmates that still continue today," said Risher. "Everything from art history to everyday campus life prepared me for my career. CCS is the kind of setting where you must work hard to survive. If I didn't work hard and keep my grades up, I would have lost my scholarship or failed my classes. Well, the real world is like that too. If you do not work hard, you will not get the creative jobs you would like to be shooting and will not be able to pay the rent."

Risher relocated to New York City shortly after graduation to develop her portfolio. Now, she works regularly with Red Book Magazine, Liz Claiborne, DKNY, Kenneth Cole and Shiseido Cosmetics. Her list of clients also includes Marie Claire, Martha Stewart Living, Noise, Mexx, Verizon Wireless, Cingular, Emma James, Unlisted!, Nexcare, Sherman Williams, Doner, Grey, BBDO and J. Walter Thompson. She is represented in New York by M Represents.

"A lot of the jobs I have gotten have been through word of mouth, but I still had to prove myself via portfolio and good work for the client," said Risher of her success.