Kickback with Ketia Hanson, DSU alumna and Foot Locker photographer
November 18, 2025
In 2022, Ketia Hanson graduated with a degree in Digital Arts & Design computer graphics with a minor in photography. By March of 2023, she had started a job as a photographer with Foot Locker Inc. in Kansas.
“Basically, I’m a studio photographer,” Hanson said. “Some of the stuff you see online comes from us; we’re styling and shooting shoes, bags, clothes etc.”
The position affords her a lot of creative freedom, as long as she follows brand guidelines. In addition to her work in the studio, she also assists with digital requests for Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, and Champs that you’ll see on their websites and feed.
Hanson traveled to New York City to assist her boss on a shoot, styling, working with the models, and shooting some of the images.
“It was a really cool experience for me,” she said. “He trusted me to keep the ball rolling.”
The trip allowed Hanson to live her dream of being in an iconic city, absorbing NYC’s energy, and bringing her own creative flair to the Foot Locker shoot.
But she didn’t always know she’d get to that point. She attended a different university for the first two years of her college experience, originally planning to become a teacher. She decided to switch majors and schools due to her love of photography.
“Even though I went to school for computer graphics and photography, I learned so much more,” Hanson said.
While she always loved photography, she didn’t have access to creative classes in high school, and didn’t believe she could paint or animate. However, courses at DSU showed her that someone can be taught to paint.
“It taught me so much about myself,” Hanson said. “I didn’t even know what I was capable of.”
She also appreciates how her professors at Dakota State prepared her for how the creative process works, from starting with an idea to executing it, editing, and receiving critiques from others.
Hanson truly appreciated the mentorship she received from professors such as Tom Jones and Wendy Romero.
“I would ask them for advice not only for the class, but life in general,” she said. “They mean a lot to me and are more than just professors from when I was there.”
Her favorite project at DSU was her semester-long senior photography project, which allowed her to choose her photography location and gave her the experience of completing the creative process, including selecting which photos to feature and framing them.
“Putting that project out there, you’re so exposed,” Hanson said. “It’s so nerve-racking when you put so much of yourself into something. That means a lot to me.”
She’s excited to keep growing as a photographer and artist and learning from others.