Picture This: Photography at Pioneer

Whether it is of people, landscapes, nature, or animals, we all use photography to capture moments in life. But how do you perfectly capture a moment? The photography students at Pioneer have been exploring this, and learning about different techniques to perfect their photography skills.

Since the start of the school year, the photography students have learned a lot about camera techniques and editing processes. “I have learned a lot in photography. We have learned how to avoid tangents (where objects are touching), how to edit pictures in a website called pixlr-e, and have done a lot of contrast photos in black and white,” said Abigail Findley, one of the photography students this year. Currently, the photography students are working on “photography inspired by the work of the famous photographer Duane Michals,” Marcus Woodward, another photography student, explained. It is clear that the photography students have been learning a lot about how to improve their pictures, both before and after they take them. In addition to this, they are learning about famous photographers and the different styles they each use to make their photographs unique.

While there have been many things that the photographers have done this year, many of them have found certain activities really enjoyable. “My favorite part about photography so far has been the editing of the photos because you are able to get creative using different tools and just making them yours,” Elysa Jimenez told us. On the other hand, Raul Gonzalez told us that his favorite part about photography so far has been “using professional beginner cameras”. Many students have found the coursework enjoyable, but that is not all that makes photography a fun class. Abigail Findley explained this when she said, “My favorite part about photography is being able to work with my peers and have a fun experience. I think that working in groups just makes this class worth joining”. Between the content of the course and the experience working with others, the photography class is a great choice for an elective.

In addition to talking about the class, the photography students also shared some tips on what the most important thing to remember when taking a picture is. Alishba Sattar says that “angle is the most important thing” to remember, while Marcus Woodward thinks that “the most important thing to remember in taking a picture is to have a clear shot, both void of tangents and distractions while also not being blurred or out-of-focus”. Although it is very important to remember technical things such as these, it is also important to remember to enjoy photography. Elysa Jimenez pointed this out when she said, “I think the most important thing to remember when taking a picture is to be creative. Having fun with taking your pictures makes the photos look more realistic and better in general”. From angles and reducing tangents to remembering to enjoy what you are doing, the photography students have great advice about how to improve pictures to be able to perfectly capture a moment.

So far, the photography classes at Pioneer have learned a lot about ways to set up the perfect pictures and edit them later, while also having a lot of fun. In the future, they will continue to learn more about different photography techniques and styles. Many of them said they hope to continue learning editing processes and ways to improve their pictures before taking them. We look forward to seeing what they create in the future.