Photography alum lands magazine cover before graduation

As Avery Belser was preparing for his final semester in the Penn State School of Visual Arts, he made a New Year’s resolution – get published in a major fashion magazine. While on an early January trip to visit his parents in Tucson, Arizona, the creative urge that steered his journey as a budding young artist came on once again. Belser and his girlfriend, Josephine Erb, loaded photography gear, props and clothes they “thrifted” into their car, and made the five-hour trip from Tucson to White Sands National Park in southwest New Mexico, a location they had scouted for the photo shoot. “The shoot was early in the morning, which gave us the best light but also absolutely freezing temperatures,” said Belser, who received a Bachelor of Design in Professional Photography in May. “Josephine and I quickly bundled up, ran through the desert to find the location we had scouted the night before, and shot through two rolls of film as quickly as possible.” From a mixture of planned and improvised shots captured on a frigid morning in the desert came a collection of work that Belser thought had a chance to help him fulfill his resolution. In March he submitted the shots of Erb to Pump Magazine “on a whim” and to his surprise, the magazine informed him that the photos would be on the cover for the April edition. After the photos were published, Belser was in the home stretch of his time at Penn State, which actually began while he was still a student at State College Area High School. When his father, Andy Belser, a former professor in the College of Arts and Architecture, introduced him to Stephanie Swindle Thomas, he joined her team of multimedia interns before he was officially enrolled at the University. Swindle Thomas, the college’s director of social media and visual assets, heads an internship program that provides hand-on photography and videography training with numerous opportunities to publish work. Knowing that he wanted to pursue a degree in photography at the University, he jumped at the opportunity to get started early. “The internship advanced me beyond belief in my profession, and has opened many doors for me,” Belser said. “It provided me with professional equipment that I would never be able to afford, as well as experience photographing events, plays, the Blue Band and installations.” With invaluable field and studio experience as well as a Penn State degree in hand, Belser is preparing to move to Los Angeles, where he plans to pursue a master’s degree while continuing to gain experience as a fashion photographer. As his artistic journey continues, Belser said he will always be grateful for his time at Penn State, where he not only was prepared for a career in photography but discovered what it means to be a “Penn Stater.” “To me,” Belser said, “it means pursuing your unique passions and embracing your individuality.”