In May, Photography students at Woodroffe High School held their second exhibition, showcasing images that captured their stories, communities, and perspectives.
Sixteen young photographers shared their work as part of a joint exhibition-coffeehouse event in the Woodroffe cafeteria. Fifty students and their families attended the event, which featured portraits, event photography, macro photography, and more. The cafeteria was transformed into an exhibition space with the help of students in the Woodworking course, who built easels to display the photos. Musicians from across the school performed at the event.
This follows the school’s first exhibit in November, which featured work by 24 students, an interactive photo booth, and door prizes provided by the Ottawa Art Gallery and Henry’s. These events were made possible by funding from the District’s Innovation and Adolescent Learning Department.
According to teacher and professional photographer Curtis Perry, who leads the Photography program at Woodroffe, the exhibit was about “affirming that we have an active interest in the world around us. Affirming that we’re a community – not just something to pass through, but to live in. This is a home.”
These exhibits were the culmination of months of learning. Students got hands-on experience with camera equipment, honed their technical skills, and got inspired by the work of other photographers. This spring, students added film photography to their repertoire, using a Mamiya RB67 camera and 120 (medium format) film – a unique facet of the program.
"If I could summarize this class in a sentence it would be 'a blast of fun and learning'. This photography class has taught me in depth about everything I need to know such as the behind the scenes, the styles, how photography came about and its history. Getting to experience taking a good photo is one of the best feelings and everyone should give it a try." – Ian
"I really enjoyed the photography program at Woodroffe, there was lots of room for creative choice to practice finding my own style as a photographer. We learned how to use the proper tools to make our photos as good as possible. This included the settings, composition of photos, photo editors, flashes, stands and other photo enhancers." – Jesse
"I personally think that this is a really interesting course that helped me discover my creative side and guided me in the amazing world of photography." – Emma
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The project-driven course gave students a chance to experiment with different styles and pursue their own interests. With each snap of the shutter, they explored photography as a tool for self-expression, mindfulness, and connection.
Throughout their journey, the students had opportunities to learn from professionals in the field, including a discussion with photographer, mental health counsellor, and Woodroffe alumna Faisa Omer. Now, they’re keen to inspire the next generation of photographers – recently inviting grade 6 students from D. Roy Kennedy Public School to bring their treasured keepsakes into the studio for a product photography workshop.
The impact of the program has been felt across Woodroffe High School. The students have contributed to the Yearbook; done food photography with their peers in the Foods class; accompanied Biology students to observe ecosystems at Gatineau Park; and teamed up English and Communications Technology classes to create composite portraits for a writing project. Photography workshops for General Learning Program students have also been held.
Check out the gallery below to see some of the photos taken by students in the program and read about the skills they learned along the way:
By Parnian M. – Students learn about black and white, greyscale, and monochrome photography in addition to many other styles of editing. Here Parnian displays control over all of the elements of the exposure triangle to achieve unique and impactful effects, such as the double-image created by a slow shutter speed.
By Savannah L. – Students used the Mamiya RB67 to achieve medium format film portraits in window light using no batteries or electronics. They had to properly frame their subject in the camera, manually focus, and find settings using an external light meter.
By Sara S. – Students have access to a wide range of lenses and equipment as well as encouragement to use this equipment at school events. This shot was taken with a super telephoto lens at a jazz workshop hosted by the music department.
By Ruby H. – Students are encouraged to play with natural and artificial light sources in order to understand how light gives shape and form to subjects in different ways. Here, Ruby creatively used the flashlight on their phone to illuminate a marble, captured by a macro lens (which helps capture subjects and details invisible to the human eye).