Class: Photo and Photoshop
Grade: Upper School
Teacher: Mx. Duffy

Currently on display in Beaver’s Griffin Gallery is a collection of works from various visual arts courses, including a display from the Photo and Photoshop course. At first glance, these photos are remarkable mainly due to their colorless and grainy qualities – depicting trees and shoes in a style uncommon in modern photography. However, these photos contain an exciting secret: they were taken with entirely homemade cameras!

Students in Photo and Photography were challenged to create pinhole cameras–rudimentary cameras consisting of a box and a tiny aperture (or “pinhole”)–using found objects. Using clever manipulation of light and time in the darkroom, students were able to capture images to display.

Each student photographer was given freedom to design their pinhole cameras however they’d like. One pinhole camera, created by Joe Looney ’25, consisted of an old shoebox that had been taped and modified to capture light. Another camera, which was phenomenally disguised as a tree trunk, was painted and assembled by Victoria Soto Rivera ’24. Each camera carries a unique personal meaning that is seen in both the camera and the resulting photograph.

“Tying the theme of their camera to the theme of the images they would take was an exciting and difficult process,” says Upper School Visual Arts teacher Lauren Duffy. “A pinhole camera has specific challenges, with long exposure times and a multi-step wed darkroom process. The artifact left behind is an image on silver gelatin print that often looks soft or blurry. Not just embracing this–but using it as a part of the image–led students to more deeply connect with how artists create meaning.”

Below, you can scroll through some of the various photos and statements from Photo and Photoshop students.

More about this course: Photo and Photoshop is designed for students who have a serious interest in building advanced techniques, and ideas through the process of experimentation, iteration, and critique.  Based on interests and curiosity, students will research and explore artists, themes and concepts in the world of art photography. Prerequisites include Intro to Photography or by the recommendation from the Visual Art Department Head.