Hera Jermyn

Artist Statement

My therapist tells me I intellectualize my life. She’s right. I have the unfortunate habit of expecting people to act in accordance with tropes and narrative devices. As a general rule, they don’t, much to my frequent confusion.

Through photography, I can reshape the world the way I see it. People begin to fit nicely into archetypes and genres. Photography allows me to better step into the role of author. I would even say it grants me a harmless outlet through which I can play God. Through alterations to pose, angle, color, and shadow, I can, in a small way, shape the world in a way that makes sense to me.

Old dramas and Catholic sculpture feature prominently in my list of inspirations. I try to shoot like a cinematographer. I prefer portraiture, especially of friends and family. I try to find the aesthetic and theatrical strengths of the models, seeing what genres and poses fit them best. Someone may be a silent film star, and someone else may be a Renaissance angel. I like giving models prompts and seeing where they go with them. The creative choices they make often elevate the work by adding more layers, and it’s an important lesson for me to not micromanage.

— Hera Jermyn, New Haven Academy ’26

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