PHOTOGRAPHY
Learn to Tell Stories Through the Lens
A great photograph does more than record what something looked like. It can capture a feeling, communicate an idea, reveal a personality, preserve a moment, or tell an entire story in a single frame.
In Photography, students learn to look at the world through the eyes of a photographer.
The course combines the fundamentals of photography with an emphasis on creativity and visual storytelling. Students learn that taking a compelling photograph involves much more than simply pointing a camera at something interesting. The photographer makes choices about what the viewer sees—and just as importantly, what the viewer does not see.
Students explore composition, framing, perspective, lighting, focus, backgrounds, camera angles, and the use of color, shape, texture, and negative space. They experiment with how changing their position, lighting, focal point, or framing can dramatically change the feeling of an image.
Students may also learn foundational camera settings and concepts appropriate to the equipment they are using, including exposure, shutter speed, aperture, ISO, focus, and depth of field.
Most importantly, students are encouraged to experiment and develop their own photographic style. Assignments may include portraits, landscapes, still life, detail photography, storytelling photo series, experiments with light and shadow, and other creative projects based on the student’s interests.
Students May Explore:
| • Composition and framing | • Perspective and camera angles |
| • Natural and artificial light | • Focus and depth of field |
| • Exposure | • Shutter speed, aperture, and ISO |
| • Portrait photography | • Landscape and environmental photography |
| • Light and shadow | • Color and texture |
| • Creating mood through photography | • Visual storytelling |
| • Selecting and evaluating photographs | • Developing a personal photographic style |
Students can work with a dedicated camera or, when appropriate, another available photographic device. The emphasis is on learning to make intentional creative choices rather than relying on expensive equipment. Photography is designed for students who want to become more thoughtful observers, stronger visual storytellers, and more confident photographers.
Don’t just take a picture. Create an image that says something.