Latin School of Chicago

Photography is about capturing the wonders of the world and sharing your vision with others. I am thrilled to share this 20th edition of Latin's Photography Maga- zine. I am forever grateful to Alix Karlin, Class of 2003, and his family for helping to kickstart our publication. Alix wanted to showcase the photography of students engaged in Latin's photography program and, thus, my students. I have been teaching photography at Latin for the past 39 years. Digital technol- ogy caused an evolution in the use of photography in how it is produced, viewed and who has access to equipment. The Photography 1 class since my beginning was a 35mm film-based class that taught the magic and techniques of darkroom. The advanced class focused on experimental techniques, eventually color pho- tography and then digital SLR cameras, Adobe Photoshop and archival printing. Students found the darkroom challenging yet exciting. When COVID hit in March of 2020 it turned my teaching upside down. Just like the typewriter doesn't create the great story, the writer does. And so, it is with a great photograph. It is not the camera but the photographer. I began re-de- signing lessons to teach students how to think like a photographer. The camera is only a tool and we now have new tools to use. I opted to learn everything I could about phone photography and apps that serve to enhance and alter images. Every day I was writing a new curriculum and challenging my students' thinking and taking their skills to a new level. Overall, I began to realize that how I was teaching photography was better. By honing what is essential to learn, I could accelerate their learning and provide students with a stronger way to engage as photographers. Smartphones have a great benefit over DSLRs as they already have constant connectivity, enabling each user to share images instantly. It is easier to access your camera, editing tools and methods of sharing and display. It makes more sense to empower our students with a strong foundation in how to use their smartphones first to make dynamic images. The advanced students will continue to use a school-supplied DSLR camera with lens and take a deep dive in Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom and archival printing. Each photograph provides a photographer with a mirror to reflect upon their ex- perience and their world. Each photograph gives us a window into the experience of the photographer. I hope you will find joy and wonder looking and reflecting on this year's photographs by the Latin School of Chicago's photography students. Betty Lark Ross Photography Instructor Visual Arts Department Chair Above: Above: City Bike City Bike Mikayla Smey '24 Mikayla Smey '24 The Cover Photo: The Cover Photo: City Sliced City Sliced Scholastic National Silver Key Winner Scholastic National Silver Key Winner Cole Lindemann '21 Cole Lindemann '21

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