In the digital age, when cellphones come equipped with multiple camera lenses, taking photos on film and then developing those images in a darkroom may seem antiquated. But Karey Walter, the photography instructor at The Lovett School in Buckhead, makes a case for teaching her students about the value of learning the traditional approach.
“Our courses have a strong foundation of analog darkroom photography,” said Walter. “Fortunately, Lovett has a fabulous facility, so the kids aren’t missing out on creating something by hand. And that’s very different from working on a computer; it’s very tactile - a very different form of engagement.”
One of the students who followed Walter into the Lovett darkroom is senior Kendall Greene, who moved from painting and drawing into the world of photography and film three years ago.
“I really liked the process; it’s very slow and intentional,” said the 18-year-old from Roswell. “You don’t have an unlimited number of shots like you do with a digital camera. You have to compose and be very present with your subject. I also like working in the darkroom. You can go at whatever pace you need to produce the work you want.”
Greene put those skills to work on a school trip to Ireland.
“I encouraged her to take a film camera and shoot color,” said Walter. “When she came back, she hand-processed the film and spent a lot of time digitizing this one image that is so beautiful.”
Greene remembers taking that specific shot. “We went to the edge of a cliff, and the environment was so beautiful – everything was so green and blue, and there were pink flowers in the grass. I loved the color.”
With that photo in mind, Walter was inspired to enter an Ohio photography competition that features works of teachers and their students.
“To be honest, it was kind of a long shot,” said Walter. “The exhibition was designed for college professors and their students who have moved on. But they didn’t list an age range; it just had to be a teacher-student submission.”
Walter, who had been working on a photo series of exotic animals and endangered species, submitted a black-and-white shot that contrasted with Greene’s color photo. “What brought the two together was our similar styles of composition and design,” she said.
Out of 260 entries by 77 artists, the two works were accepted into the exhibition, “TAPPED: Artists and Their Professors,” staged by the Manifest Gallery in Cincinnati. Greene and Walter attended the December opening that featured just 16 pieces.
“We were pretty shocked when we got in,” said Walter. “We were the only high school teacher and student there.”
The honor solidified Greene’s goal of continuing to work with photography when she graduates from Lovett in the spring. “When I was looking at colleges, one of the requirements was that they had to have a darkroom,” she said. “It’s something I want to continue to do.”
Information about The Lovett School is online at lovett.org.
SEND US YOUR STORIES.
Each week we look at programs, projects and successful endeavors at area schools, from pre-K to grad school. To suggest a story, contact H.M. Cauley at hm_cauley@yahoo.com or 770-744-3042.
