Know Your Writers: Nexus staff photographer Jill Westby

Campus July 12, 2017

Have you ever wondered about the Camosun students writing the articles you read in Nexus? Know Your Writers will help you dive into the minds of the writers behind the stories.

This issue, we talked to Nexus staff photographer Jill Westby about her introduction to taking pictures, her choice of Camosun over the University of Victoria, and her love of roller derby.

What drew you to photography?

Back in high school when I was signing up for classes for Grade 10, I needed one more elective class to fill my timetable. I chose an intro to film photography class because I wanted to take some sort of art course, and nothing else fit into my schedule. I loved that class; I always say I learned more in it than I did in any other class that year.

Nexus staff photographer Jill Westby gets behind the lens (photo by, of course, Jill Westby/Nexus).

From where do you usually take your inspiration?

I tend to have long periods without taking many photos, and then being really bored one day and suddenly getting a burst of creativity and going on some sort of photographic adventure. So I guess boredom is what inspires me to get motivated to take lots of photos.

What would you say are the worst and best parts of your job at the paper?

Best part is getting to know the professors and students in programs outside of my own, people I never would have otherwise had the chance to meet. Worst part is deadlines…

What brought you to Camosun College?

Basically I didn’t want to go to UVic right away after my gap year. Camosun had cheaper tuition and smaller classes and was very close to where I lived. What’s kept me here is the Environmental Technology program; I joined about three and a half years ago and found that it was a good mix of everything I had been interested in studying.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I’m hoping to do a lot of hiking, biking, rollerblading, and camping this summer. Realistically, though, a good portion of my spare time consists of watching Netflix and eating popcorn. Probably the coolest thing I’ve done with my spare time is roller derby—I played for a few years on the first junior team in Victoria but had to stop due to school commitments. I still try and watch as many bouts as I can!