Caya Aronson joins I-T student photographer program

As a 17-year-old senior at Sonoma Valley High School, Caya Aronson is plenty busy. Between applying to colleges and shooting photos for the yearbook, she is an active student on campus, and a frequent sight by the athletic field.

“My favorite thing to shoot is definitely sports,” she said. “I love how hype it is and love being able to spend time with the team and see all the behind-the-scenes before a game. It's the best feeling to capture players' highlights/goals/touchdowns and show them after the game.”

Her photos and videos clips are often posted to the Sonoma Valley High School’s social media channels, which is how she first popped up on the newspaper’s radar.

“We have long planned to bring back our popular student reporter and photographer program but the pandemic complicated our launch,” said editor/publisher Emily Charrier. “When we saw Caya’s work and the consistency of her talent, I had to hire her right away, even before the official relaunch.”

As part of the program, students are paid to cover issues and events in our town. Aronson will be covering sports and ongoings around campus (check out her football photos along with her Halloween contributions), in addition to assignments across the Valley.

“Having just hired Caya, I am already blown away, not just by her work, but by her professionalism and responsiveness — she is a true gem right out of our high school,” Charrier said.

Aronson is a lifelong Valley resident who attended Kenwood Elementary School and Altimira Middle School. She’s an avoid movie lover, which in her younger years inspired her to “play around” with a camera. When her youth pastor asked her to shoot clips for a basketball game, she discovered a whole new passion.

“Then I reached out to my video arts teacher, Mr. (Peter) Hansen, to film videos for the school and have been filming their sports/events ever since,” Aronson said. “After filming videos, I began taking photos as well. I love being able to capture moments and look back on them.”

Using a 90D Cannon camera she borrowed from her video class, Aronson became a fixture on the sidelines, chasing the football team up and down the field, seeking those perfect moments.

“My biggest mentor is my video teacher, Mr. Hansen, who has given me a ton of equipment, introduced me to new programs/lenses/techniques, and brought me so many opportunities,” she said. “The best part about being a Dragon is being able to take classes that you're passionate about and having teachers who encourage you. Sonoma Valley High School has given me so many opportunities and surrounded me with so many supporting people.”

Next year, Aronson is considering film schools in Southern California, where she’d get to be close to her older sister. In between working on video projects and spending time with friends and family, Aronson said she’s excited about the opportunity to take photos for the Index-Tribune.

“I'm looking forward to capturing events and being able to share them with a bigger community,” she said. “I'm so grateful for the opportunity and can't wait to meet new people/shoot for the community!”

Contact editor/publisher Emily Charrier at emily.charrier@sonomanews.com.