The small town of Wareham is home to a plethora of talents, and 14-year-old Samantha Girard is living proof. 

An aspiring interior designer, Girard has been a photographer for ten years now, which means she first picked up a camera and pressed the shutter release when she was just four years old. 

“It’s fun to see a beautiful moment and be able to capture it,” said Girard.

Girard shot her first photo with her grandmother’s Panasonic Lumix during a family outing at the Lyman Reserve. Her mother noticed Girard’s interest and gave her a digital point-and-shoot for Christmas.

Now in 8th grade, Girard has not outgrown her love of photography and continues to pursue her hobby using her iPhone XS while saving up for her first Canon DSLR camera. Through trial and error, Girard has perfected her technique, producing sharp and clear photos shot after shot. 

“When I was younger and I saw something and I thought it was cool, I took a picture of it but didn't really care about the quality,” said Girard. “Now, I make sure my pictures are not blurry.”

Girard had showcased her images at multiple county fairs in the past, but didn't place due to her young age.

“I like to take pictures of water and the sunset,” said Girard. “Something always changes in nature, so I always get unique pictures. They are almost never the same.”

In July of this year, she finally competed with other young photographers at the Barnstable County Fair, and won four first place ribbons, two second, and one third, as well as the Best in Show ribbon for her macro photo of a raindrop on a flower. In August, Girard entered the Marshfield Fair where she received second and third place ribbons. 

Despite her accomplishments, Girard often sees flaws in her work and hopes to continue improving. 

“I often feel like there is a better way to capture something at a different angle,” said Girard. For example, she described one of her photos of a sunset that she wished she had taken from a lower vantage point.

To improve her skills, Girard captures images “whenever [she] can.” Looking forward, she hopes her zeal for photography will help her enroll at Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical High School and, eventually, get a college scholarship.

“I think it’s cool to take a picture of something and keep it in your possession. It's interesting to see how something changes over time,” said Girard.