Denise Stephanie Hewitt, Class of 2024, Department of Photography and Imaging
Denise Stephanie Hewitt ’24 (Department of Photography & Imaging) says she leads a “Hannah Montana double life,” referring to the Disney sitcom that featured Miley Cyrus as a typical teen by day and a pop star by night.
The 21-year-old spends her days taking a full course load, working as a resident assistant and admission’s ambassador, and volunteering as a consultant to the Tisch Black Student Council. She’s also a 2023 Gordon Parks Foundation Scholar.
But before and after class, Denise is a freelance photographer whose burgeoning career includes taking pictures of the Met Gala, NY Fashion Week, and gymnast Simone Biles. She’s even photographed actor Emily Blunt for the cover of Marie Claire magazine.
“I’m jumping between class and a photo shoot” every day, Denise says. “I go from my photo class where I’m learning about lighting to a photo shoot that I’ve been commissioned to do and I use those skills.”
Majoring in photography at Tisch, she has also taken courses in history, medical humanities, and brand strategy, and says the opportunity to explore a wide variety of academic subjects is part of what made her choose NYU. But our location was the biggest draw. She wanted to be in a city—and New York City made the most sense because she could continue to build connections to its art, fashion, and media industries.
“If I need a car, it’s not for me,” she says about her college screening process. “I love the variety of people I see on a daily basis. I can go to class, and go to a Fashion Week show, then to a photo shoot, and then get tacos on a boat that goes around the Statue of Liberty. That’s the kind of life I love.”
Growing up in Brooklyn, Denise started taking photos just before high school and immediately fell in love with the medium. A quiet child, she says photography allowed her to engage with others. “I was always super observant,” she says, “but the camera was an excuse to start conversations, to socialize."
She uses her skills and talent to document her community. “My family is from the West Indies, and just seeing those cultural values, and documenting what’s around me, is important. I know the nuances, the subtleties that are crucial and important to that relationship to my culture and the community around me.”
She credits her drive and “perfectionist tendencies” for her success. “There’s a level of follow-through and dedication that you have to have. It looks like it’s all glitz and glamor on my Instagram story about Fashion Week, but you don't see that I was drenched from head to toe, holding my laptop and textbooks for class on my back while shooting the show.”
When she’s not in class or on a job, Denise says she’s probably visiting an art show, gallery,or museum. On her agenda in the near future is Henry Taylor: B Side at the Whitney Museum of American Art and shows at the Strada Gallery in the Village. When she’s on campus, she’s likely studying in a favorite spot she prefers not to disclose. “I don’t want to give it away, since it’s already gotten popular. But I’m a Stern girl, I’ll say that.”
Her advice for students, and for the prospective Violets she meets on campus tours, is to put themselves out there. “DM people you see on Instagram and be like ‘I want to get coffee’ or ‘Let’s get lunch,’ even if it feels really awkward,” she says.
And get out of Greenwich Village and explore. “There’s so much more to the city than Manhattan,” she says. “You have to take advantage of it.”