IQALUIT - Armed with a camera and with her eye to the lens, Apphia Kullualik was ready at any moment this summer to snap the perfect picture.

Iqaluit's Apphia Kullualik spent the summer working for the Qaujigiartiit Health Research Centre taking pictures of what made her feel happy or sad and what it means to live healthy or unhealthy. - photo courtesy of Apphia Kullualik

"Wherever I was the photos just came to me," said the 13-year-old resident of Iqaluit.

Kullualik spent the summer working as a youth summer student with the Qaujigiartiit Health Research Centre in Iqaluit working on a youth mental health and wellness photovoice research project.

Starting at the beginning of June until the end of August, Kullualik took 4,676 pictures of whatever made her happy or sad evoking different emotions.

"Photos are great because they capture moments," she said.

She took photographs of members of her family, celebrations and nature.

For Kullualik, capturing the natural beauty of the territory was important for her because as she put it "it might not be there forever."

Kullualik's photos are now on display on the centre's website and some of them were printed in a coffee table book called "A Summer of Fun" which the centre has and will distribute to its partners. She also put together a short movie available on the website about Inuit shamanism and how modern day science may deem the gifts of shamanism as signs of mental illness.

"Many years ago before white people came here there were shamans, it's all about magic and healing and it was interesting to learn about that," she said.

The centre executive director Gwen Healey describes Kullualik as being energetic, creative, independent and thoughtful.

Kullualik worked both with Healey and the centre's youth research co-ordinator Jennifer Noah during the summer.

A highlight for Kullualik was when she went to the National Inuit Youth Summit in Inuvik, NWT, to present some of her research.

She made three posters with photos one displaying photos related to healthy living, another to unhealthy living and a third with photos that could be classified as being unhealthy or healthy depending on one's opinion.

"It was awesome," Kullualik said. "I got to meet new people and see a new place."

Healey said having Kullualik work with them for the summer was great.

"It means so much," she said. "The voices of youth are so important and that is why we have this program."

As for Kullualik, she said she is proud of her accomplishments over the summer and in the future she would like to become a photographer.

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