Bustling students quickly crowd the STEM wing. Eager classmates await their food orders. Announcements over a megaphone echo throughout rows of packed tables. But, amidst all the chaos lies an oasis: an array of landscapes, portraits and action shots thoughtfully chosen and displayed. They act as a quiet testament to the hard work and creativity of the students in the photography program.
At the end of each semester, all students in the photography program display their work along the walls of the STEM wing, around the Tappan Green Restaurant and in the hallways of the third floor of the Unified Arts Building. The exhibition consists of photographs selected by the students themselves from a range of their projects spanning the course of the semester. The display aims to allow students a chance to freely express themselves and share their work with the community in a way that is completely their own.
Photography teacher Lori Lynn said she always had a great passion for the arts. She said that she wanted to share that same passion after she graduated, which led her to pursue teaching.
“I think it’s a wonderful way to express yourself because it’s a way to show others how you look at the world,” Lynn said. “What do you want them to notice that you notice? What do you think is beautiful, or what do you think is important?”
Lynn teaches her students to take ownership of their work and creativity. She said she uses the end-of-semester exhibition as a way to make that possible.
“I really try to give them as much control as possible over what it’s going to look like because I want them to feel like they own that show,” Lynn said. “They choose the images, what size they want to print them and then they work on what the display should look like, so it’s their show completely.”
Sophomore Logan Keefe is currently taking Photography Intensive. He said that he is proud of the skills he has developed during his time in the class and appreciates the opportunity to showcase them.
“We put up the work we do because we want others to see it… [and] I think it’s a nice way to sort of express things that we do inside the class,” Keefe said.
Junior Ella Blaser took Photography Intensive during the fall semester. She took pictures of her sister and her art.
“I worked with my teacher, Ms. Lynn, and we decided which ones were my strongest and which fit the message I was going for,” Blaser said.
Lynn said displaying some projects in the Tappan STEM Commons allowed for a much greater audience.
“It’s a spot where a lot more eyes are gonna be on their work, and it’s a chance for them to feel like they’re making work not just for their classmates, but for their community to see, and that’s important for them,” Lynn said.
According to Lynn, the exhibition project offers students a unique and accessible way to display their talent and express themselves, no matter where they are starting from.
“Almost anyone could pick up a camera and snap a photo, right?” Lynn said. “You can express yourself in this very immediate way… there’s just a lot to discover and a lot of different ways you can approach it, which I think is great.”
