The Bigger Picture
Photography classes put everything in focus.
Photo by Mercedes Peck
Room 113 is a busy studio filled with students checking cameras, planning photoshoots and editing hundreds of pictures.
Classes with different levels of photography skills are offered at LHS, including Digital Photography, Advanced Studio Art and AP Studio Art. Students see the benefit of learning the art and science of photography.
“We start with Digital Photography which is a year-long course,” photography teacher Julie Miller said. “If they wish to go on, the next class is Advanced Studio Art. We emphasize photography because it’s actually 2D design, and then after that, they can do AP Studio Art again and in Studio Art the emphasis is again on photography.”
Students take these classes for personal enjoyment and possible careers in the future.
“Photography will help them later in life if they want to pursue careers or hobbies in photography,” senior Bristol Hough said. “A lot of our students capture important moments at LHS that we can memorialize through photos.”
LHS photographers’ work is shown off and used as competition pieces, as well as being displayed around the school and community.
“We display at Belvoir Winery,” Miller said. “We display there year-round. We change it three times a year.”
Some student’s photographs are shown inside Mid-Continent Public Library and even the Capital building in Jefferson City. The Missouri State Senate holds an annual competition.
“The last three or four years we’ve been doing the Senate competitions and we’ve also entered the Congressional competition,” Miller said. “The Senate competition is held in Jefferson City. We’ve had two winners in the last four years and their work hangs in the Senate Tunnel for a whole year.”
Photography allows creativity and diversity to flourish.
“I think it’s important to LHS because it shows the diversity we have in this school, especially the art program,” junior Mckenna Stephens said.
For some students, photography is a form of creative expression.
“It’s a really good outlet to show a message or to just remember a scene,” sophomore Morgan Strother said. “A lot of it’s online, you can digitally make things look different. It’s cool to have a certain idea of what you want an image to look like and then seeing it come to life.”
It’s the creativity and effort put forth into the craft that counts.
“A good photo is a photo that takes time into consideration,” junior Orrin Richardson said. “Explore, get creative and try different things that you’ve never tried before and see what works.”
