The installation of the Center for Communication Technology Program at Thomas Jefferson provides students the chance to incorporate technology into their every day lives.
One of the many photography showcases in which student's work is displayed. Photo by Mateo Rocha
It’s not rare to see Spartans walking the hallways with a whole load of technology dangling from their necks and a large tripod tucked under their arms. The common camera used by photography students is the Nikon D3100.
“The fact that you can shoot videos along with still photos with these cameras is unique,” states photography teacher Jeff Coleman. “The cameras use digital memory, not film. We also no longer have to use two separate cameras (one for video one one for still photos), we just use one.”
Coleman has taught photography at TJ for 20 years and continues to do so happily. “I want to change the way students approach the visual world; I want to change the way they look at things. For example, if they see an image that includes a tree, it goes beyond what the tree is in the physical universe,” said Coleman.
All of the assignments given by Coleman are to be photos or some sort of media, unlike your regular coursework from a core class. “It’s a very satisfying thing to teach because you’re creating something, and when you’re done you’ve got this something that you can show the work you’ve put in, versus just a grade on a test,” explains Coleman.
Avid photographer and TJ Senior Michael Canady has been in the photo program for the past three years and describes it as being influential in his high school career. “He [Coleman] would show us the cool pictures he’d taken over the years, and that made me want to take pictures on my own time. Plus the assignments he would give us provided techniques for me to use,” said Canady.
Photography has slipped into Canady’s life, weaving in and out of his lifelong activities of Snowboarding and BMXing. “Now when I go places I actually plan to take pictures of snowboarding or biking, because it’s more creative that way. Also, photography’s about having you own take on pictures, and doing what you want.”
The photo program at TJ whetted Canady’s interest and brought out his potential. “Photography at TJ is really good because it shows all the different aspects of taking pictures. There are so many different styles of it. Coleman’s also really experienced in it. He’s shown all the different options of photography to explore. Instead of just taking a plain picture of line depth, there are so many different things you can really do, and the photo class helped me see that. It expanded my possibilities,” said Canady exuberantly.
For others, photography has always been a prevalent activity in their lives, such as TJ Senior Madalyn Doro, where TJ has simply provided a well-equipped stage to reinforce her with other skills. “I remember my present for my sixth birthday, it was a roll film Barbie camera. I’ve always kept taking pictures, and photography eventually became a big thing in my life. My freshman year I got my first digital camera, and that was a significant moment for me and my photo career,” said Doro.
Doro took part in the photography program at TJ under Coleman’s tutelage her Sophomore and Junior years. She is now currently the Co-Editor-in-Chief of the TJ Aristocrat yearbook, where she handles photos on a daily basis to construct a dynamic visual appeal for TJ Spartans.
“Once I joined the yearbook staff my eyes were opened to the professional side of photography. Since I joined the staff with photo experience under my belt, I escalated on the Yearbook hierarchy faster than others; it’s paid off to have had photography as a hobby of mine,” said Doro.
The photo program at TJ has instilled the fundamentals and wonders of going and taking pictures to its students, regardless of prior interest in the subject. TJ Alumni, such as Gustavo Garcia (’10) and Lauren Jorgenson (’11), are well known for their photography skills at TJ, along with their printed photos hanging along the walls of Coleman’s studio.
“Some of my students do extremely good work, and I’m very proud of what they accomplish in two short years with me. Some of them have gone on into careers in photography, and that’s always been a source of satisfaction for a teacher when somebody takes what you’ve taught them and makes their living out of it,” said Coleman.
“I think the main thing that I try to get across is that photography isn’t just taking a picture, or taking an image that exists and putting it into a camera, it is about making something,” said Coleman. “The photographer is an active participant in the process of creating something new that didn’t exist before.”
To view the work of TJ photographers, visit any of these web sites:
http://www.photogallery.tjjournal.com/
http://www.studio107.tjjournal.com/index.html
