by Carl Falcon
When Darby was torn down, the campus community lost its only all-student darkroom. One group of concerned students, the Grinnell Photo Society, is trying to increase recognition of student photography and ensure student darkroom space. “One of the main purposes is to create an email list to spread the word about photography events on campus” says Keli Campbell ‘05, who founded the society with Julie Edwards ‘07.
The group is teaching three introductory classes in photography on Wednesdays in November. The final class will be held on Nov. 23. The group’s teachers include Campbell, Edwards, Serge Giachetti ‘06, David Kennedy ‘06, and Mac Pohanka ‘08.
“In the classes we are teaching kids the basics in camera mechanics and operation, including aesthetic as well as technical skills” said Pohanka. Next semester, the group plans to offer a semester-long class in digital photography, though they do not know yet when or where these classes will be held.
Students do not need to have a camera to participate in the current round of classes, and the society is trying to obtain digital cameras for students to use for the planned digital classes.
In this round of student initiative voting, the Grinnell Photo Society is introducing an initiative asking for an interim campus darkroom space until the campus center is completed. The second part of the initiative asks that a darkroom be returned to the campus center’s budget. A priority the society has is to assure the creation of an up to date and well-supplied darkroom in the new campus center, said Campbell.
The group is also planning several other activities in the coming semester. The society would like to host at least one lecture next semester. At the end of the academic year the society also wants to host a show of student photography.
They hope to use a Polaroid transfer machine currently in storage which transfers slides to Polaroids, then to paper. “It comes out looking kind of like a watercolor,” said Campbell.
As of now the Photo Society offers students the only classes in photography; however the Art Department plans to offer a digital photography class within the next two semesters. “We are trying to create enough interest to get the school to start offering photography as an academic program,” said Campbell.
Arts | News | Opinion | Features | Sports | Archives | About Us