Claire Fillon, a sophomore at Lexington High School, is a decorated photographer. She specializes in nature photography, using her free time as a student to produce a variety of intricate and profound stills.
Fillon wakes up as early as 5:00 a.m. on some weekends to catch the sunrise for her nature shots.
“Sometimes I just don’t want to get out of bed, but other than that, [there aren’t] many challenges, and it’s really nice,” Fillon said.
Fillon has always loved photography, frequently capturing moments on her phone. However, she found herself engaging in the art to a greater extent after she switched from using her phone camera to a specialized one.
“I had actually snubbed cameras for a long time until I tried them a few years ago and basically stopped using my phone to take pictures of things because I just love using [my camera] so much,” Fillon said.
Fillon’s photography has achieved great success in various competitions. She won a gold key at the 2025 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, and also received a silver and honorable mention. Furthermore, two of her pieces have won Young Amateur Photographer of the Year, another photography contest, in 2025 and 2024. Her photograph “Above the All” was judged fourth in the theme “Travel,” and “Feeding” won third place semi-nationally and placed in the top ten for the theme “Action.” Some of her work is now displayed in-person in North Carolina by National Geographic’s Greatest Wildlife Photographs of 2025.
Fillon appreciates that her work has grounded her in her natural surroundings.
“I love the entire process… [It allowed] me to see so many animals I’ve never seen in my life, like foxes and deer, snakes, moles, and owls. I’ve become a lot more conscious of the animals around me,” Fillon said.
Fillon also dabbles in portrait photography, action photography, and landscape photography. Her process for creating final photos is simple, but the end results are of impressive quality.
“I start by just going out. For wildlife, I go into nature in the mornings to take photos. Or for people shots, I have a little studio in my home,” Fillon said. “I start by taking photos, and then I’ll transfer them. [There are] usually around 2,000 photos per session. I use an app called FastStone Image Viewer, and I go, selectively choosing my favorite ones. Then, I go into [Adobe] Lightroom or Rawtherapee, and just edit [by adding] some good lighting, [changing] the colors, and so on.”
Fillon takes inspiration from several different photographers, as her photography covers a wide range of subjects. For instance, she enjoys the works of wildlife photographer Simon d’Entremont, landscape photographer Ansel Adams, and fashion influencer Wisdom Kaye, who inspires her portrait photography.
Aside from her accomplishments, Fillon also acknowledged the challenges that come with balancing schoolwork, extracurriculars, and hobbies.
“I really don’t have a lot of time, so I have to limit my photography to Saturday mornings, at sunrise before people are really awake… In general, I edit whenever I have time, or just in between some of my classes,” Fillon said.
For those who are interested in starting photography, Fillon recommends using YouTube as a source to learn techniques and tips. However, most importantly, she encourages people to get comfortable with using a camera and simply start taking photos.
“Photography is really fun; just enjoy it,” Fillon said.
