A Glimpse into the Field of Photography

The digital photography program at University School provides an excellent introduction to the basic concepts for acquiring digital images and the process of manipulating the images with editing software such as Adobe Photoshop. For those students who discover a passion for the art of photography, the program offers advanced courses which thoroughly explore several digital photography techniques and styles, and teach the correct use of studio lighting and equipment. Highly motivated students may ultimately complete the Advanced Placement (AP) Studio Art 2-D Design Portfolio course which requires the submission of 24 works reflecting breadth, concentration, and quality.

Mrs. Jackowitz enhances the digital photography curriculum by providing her students with current and varied career exploration opportunities that truly help students draw connections between their academic work in high school and their future. Each year she organizes several Skype sessions with professional photographers who share their insights on the field of photography.

Representing the publishing industry, Nicole Fara Silver, a young photographer for Rolling Stone Magazine, described her role as photographer in the world of music, politics, and popular culture. She enlightened the students on the importance of internships in college and clearly demonstrated what it takes to be a high quality photographer when Giovanna Elia, grade 11, asked about the consequences of failing to meet deadlines. Nicole simply responded, “That never happens!”

Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Brian Smith also visited the digital photography classroom via Skype and talked about his career creating portraits of actors, business leaders, politicians, and athletes. He discussed the aptitudes needed to stand out from others in the field and spoke about studying photography in college. He advised, “If your teacher asks for two pictures, take ten!” And to the delight of the students, he also described winning the Pulitzer Prize in 1985 for his work covering the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

Christina Otero, a self-taught photographer living in Spain, encouraged her young listeners to persevere in spite of failure. Alyssa Bonchick, grade 10, noted that a career in photography can be “demanding and leave little time for sleep”. During the Skype session Otero explained her sources of inspiration and related the power of social media to gaining recognition as a photographer.

Mrs. Jackowitz also gave her students the opportunity to have their work critiqued by Alison Frank, a local lifestyle and event photographer. Student work was submitted to her for evaluation. Later, via Skype, she commented and gave feedback on the pictures individually.

Students have also worked directly with alumna Rori Kotch ‘12 who is currently studying photography at the University of Miami and won various Scholastic awards while at University School for Digital Photography and Drawing and Painting. Rori has helped our digital photography students develop new perspectives on editing and image making.

As these professionals shared their passion for photography, our students derived great inspiration and direction. Seeing that a career in photography can be extremely demanding led one student to simply say, “Eye opening!”, when asked what her reaction was to these extraordinary career development activities.

For more information about University School, please call (954) 262-4506 or visit us online at www.uschool.nova.edu/admissions.