For the past ten weeks, 7th and 8th grade students have been honing their photography skills in an after-school class offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays as part of the After-School All-Stars Program.
After being introduced to the manual controls on their DSLR cameras, the students learned how ISO, aperture and shutter speed work together to create a properly-exposed image. With the basics down, they explored how to use these technical tools in an artistic way and applied various rules of composition and exposure to take their photography to the next level.
In addition to shooting around Bell, they also went on several walking field trips around the neighborhood to look for interesting subjects, including the fire station, St. Ben’s Church and Joe’s Restaurant. When not photographing, the students could be found in the computer lab learning how to use Adobe Photoshop to enhance their photos.
At the end of the ten weeks, the students chose their favorite photographs to print and mount on photo boards for a photography exhibit on the last day of class. We invited family and friends to attend our show and help celebrate our success and growth.
Below you will find artist statements from the photographers as well as a gallery of their favorite photographs. We hope you enjoy them!
Artist Statements & Photo Galleries
I’m Lucy, and I am a thirteen year old at Bell School. This year, I joined photography club and made many discoveries in the art of photography. What I like about photography is that you get to really make each picture you take your own and you learn to develop your own style of taking and editing pictures. My favorite type of photo to take is of things that you can find in nature. I learned a lot about freezing the image, which can be used to take a picture of a waterfall or plants swaying on a breezy day. I really enjoyed Intro to Digital Photography and would love to take this course again.
My name is Abigail. I am in 8th grade and am 14 years old. Photography has been one of my passions ever since I can remember. I was never a person who loved being photographed, but I always appreciated being behind the camera, snapping photos of my surroundings. When my older sister bought her first DSLR, I used to steal it and take pictures around the house, unaware of how to properly use it. This year, and the previous year I have taken this photography club after school, and I now know how to use that DSLR that my sister has given me. I have gained so much knowledge because of this class, and I have learned to look at everything from a new perspective. Ever since I learned how to properly use my first DSLR, I have been looking at everything through the lens of my camera. My favorite aspects of photography are how I am able to acknowledge the extraordinary beauty in everyday things and how I can share my visual outlook on the world.
My name is Katarina. I am 13 years old and in 7th grade. I was introduced to photography, at a young age, by my mother, who was the kind of person who would always carry around a camera to take pictures of my siblings and me. I never liked being in pictures, so I decided to be behind the scenes. My mother started to teach me how to take pictures and how to use the camera. When I got my first camera, a Nikon D90, I was in love. I knew little about photography, but I loved how it allows you to capture a moment of anything in a picture, how you can look back and think about the fun you had on that day, in that moment. As you can already see, I enjoy taking pictures of people and things. I enjoy this because they remind me of how awesome people in my life are.
I learned a lot in photography class. I learned how to change the shutter speed, ISO, and aperture on the camera. I also learned what those three components are, and how they are combined to take a “good picture”. I enjoyed photography club a lot, and I cannot wait until I can join next year and take more pictures!
My name is Nino. I am twelve years old and in seventh grade. I like photography because you can capture an image in time, and I really like that idea. I like taking photos of animals, unusual things in unusual places, and people’s expressions. In this class I learned what ISO, shutter speed, and aperture are and how to manually adjust them. I also learned how to take very still photos, and how to use blur and focus to my advantage. Finally, I learned how to properly Photoshop the photos I took and how to frame them. I really enjoyed this class, learning about photography and especially taking some photos of my own. It was really fun.
My name is Samantha. I am 12 years old and in 7th grade. This is my first year in photography club. I was introduced to photography when I first tried using a DSLR camera my dad had bought. I was really fascinated by all the different features and buttons on the camera but never really knew how to use it. My dad and brother were also interested in photography, so I thought I would give it a shot. Over the years, I have developed an artistic side and have learned to portray it through photographs. I am currently using a Nikon D90 which is my dad’s, so I’m hoping to get my own camera soon.
During photography class, I learned a lot about how to place things in a photo and move around depending on one’s artistic opinion. Aperture was one of my favorite things to learn about, since I’ve always wanted to take pictures with blurred backgrounds and wondered how it was done. I also learned about how to change shutter speed and ISO. I’ve had a lot of fun this year, and I can’t wait to join again!
My name is Brigitte, and I am 14 years old. For these pictures, I used a Canon Rebel. My favorite photography subject is people. I love the different expressions they make, and I like to know there is always a story behind them. For me, photography is an outlet of expression. It is the equivalent of making music or painting a picture. Using different techniques, many of which I learned in this class, you can show feelings or emotions. One of my favorite things I learned was to take bokeh pictures. Bokeh pictures are pictures with artistic backgrounds, like where you see lights blurred into large orbs. I used this technique in my picture, Christmas Tree.
Hello, my name is Davis. I am 12 years old and a 7th grade student at Bell School. I enjoy taking pictures of sporting events because I really like to play sports. Photography allows me to attend a sporting event and take pictures to keep the experience alive. I use a Canon Rebel DSLR and really enjoy it. During this class, I learned about shutter speed, ISO, and exposure. I also had never used Photoshop before, and Ms. Newberry taught me how to use it.
Hello, my name is Grace, and I am currently 13 and in seventh grade. I enjoy photography for multitudes of reasons—the structure, the precise colors, the feel of just pressing down on the shutter button. If I were forced to choose one reason I enjoy photography however, I would have to say I love the way the camera allows me to capture my favorite moments in time. I use a Canon DSLR to capture these photos. Out of the many types of photos one can take, I enjoy taking photos that honor the Japanese style of Bokeh. In the process of this class, I learned what shutter speed, ISO, and aperture are which helped me take the photos you see before you today.
My name is Maya, and I am currently in the eighth grade. I am thirteen years old, and although I don’t have much experience with photography I love taking pictures. I love photography because of the fact that I can capture a beautiful image and can have that image for the rest of my life. I absolutely love focusing on an object, making sure my settings are right and then firing that perfect shot. I don’t currently own a camera, but my father has an extremely deluxe DSLR that I hope to use more of in the future. My favorite types of photographs are action shots, which I love to take because of the intensity of the action I am shooting. I love capturing a person in mid-air or mid-shot and then watching them finish only to capture that amazing moment. This photography class has taught me so much. I entered not knowing anything about an advanced camera, but I emerge knowing more than I ever could have thought. Overall, I enjoyed this experience and plan to take many more photographs in the future.
Hello, my name is Molly, and I am in the 8th grade. Photography is a method I use to communicate my surroundings to those who view my pictures. I enjoy all aspects of using a camera to express myself. The careful planning before each shot and the execution are important steps in the process; however, my favorite part has to be touching up the picture afterwards and making it look truly alive. The things one can do with a Nikon D40 and a story to tell are astounding.
This is my second year taking this class, but I still learned many new techniques this year. For example, bokeh, the visually pleasing quality of out-of-focus lights, was a fairly new concept to me. I had experimented with it last year, but this year I began to feel much more comfortable trying it. This course took place during the holiday season, so there were plenty of opportunities for using this approach. I also take many other kinds of pictures. I find living things are the most interesting subjects, so most of my pictures consist of plants or animals. I had a great time, and I encourage anyone to sign up next year!
Bytes@Bell 