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Upper and Lower School Collaborate on Photography Project

5/3/2018

Collegiate Upper School photography teacher and professional photographer Taylor Dabney and Lower School art teacher Holly Smith have joined forces on a photography project between their two divisions over the next few weeks.

Mr. Dabney transformed the gazebo on Fort Cougar, the Lower School playground, into a camera obscura (which typically is a darkened box with a pinhole opening). As the Lower School’s visiting artist, he has led Lower School art classes through an experience in the darkened enclosure, where images of the playground will travel through a small hole and lens and show up on the opposite wall. This precursor to photography has provided surprising results.

Students have also created sunprints, or cyanotypes, another early form of photography. All Lower School art classes will cycle through this immersive experience in the next few weeks as weather permits.

Mr. Dabney has delighted in showing students the basics of photography and how photography came about. And using the camera obscura as a teaching tool demonstrates how science and art work together in photography, he says.

“We tend to take photography for granted and not experience the magic and wonder that is taking place with the technology,” he said. “Plus, I love the surprise someone has going in a camera obscura or making a sunprint for the first time. As the students say, ‘That was awesome!’"

Mrs. Smith says her students have enjoyed getting a glimpse of how art, science and the history of photography intersect.

“I have to admit that my understanding of the science of photography and how light travels to create images was theoretical at best,” she said. “I was just as amazed as my students were when we entered the camera obscura. Experiential learning is most effective for young and old alike!”

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