In the late 1800’s a peculiar type of art was rising and slowly becoming popular among the masses. With the invention of Brownie cameras by Kodak in the early 1900’s, photography became popular and progressive technology has led us to modern day DSLRs. Through cameras, pictures capture a moment in time and gives people the ability to create art.

“Individually, photography gives people a creative outlet,” photography teacher John Burrows said. “It gives you something creative to do where you don’t have to be skilled with a pencil or a paintbrush. For the mass population, it really allows them to see creativity in a way that they can achieve it.”

Photography opens up the ability for anyone to create anything they can imagine, all you have to do is create and image and produce it.

“It’s just my outlet that I can express myself. I don’t have to worry about anything else that is going on in the world when I take pictures,” Senior Caylee Davis said. “The only thing going through my mind is the vision I have for my pictures.”

Photography gets introduced to peoples lives in different ways, whether looking at a website or visiting an art gallery.
“I started an Instagram account and I would start to see really good photographs and it inspired me to start taking some of my own,” junior Landon Hoover said.

A photograph records history and is something that is forever there once taken, it creates an image of what it is like at that certain time.

“It gives an honest perception of what is actually going on in the world,” Burrows said. “You can actually see what has happened around you.”

Pictures are not set to images that you would normally see, special effects can be created and send off a different vibe to images that only the photographer may understand.

“I like more of abstract photography, which is lightpainting, just stuff that you wouldn’t usually see, not just a normal photograph of people or objects,” Hoover said. “Its my own vocal expression of how I see the world. It is my way of showing the world how I see things.”

With the accessibility of cameras to consumers, photography is becoming more popular among different groups of people because it gives everyone the chance to take a photograph and capture a special moment. But just because it’s more popular, doesn’t mean the quality of the images will get better.

“There is a mass influx of people who are able to buy digital cameras and feel that they can take great images,” Burrows said. “Soon people won’t be willing to pay for professionals which will lower the quality of images.”

Photography is heading in the right direction by being easily accessible to the public, but the problem arises when people have the mindset that it’s “easy”. Burrows says that if people are truly serious about advancing photography as an art it needs to be done so with actually learning how to take good photos.

“You have to know how to set the camera because you can’t let the camera do all the work for you,” Burrows said. “The best way to learn is taking a photography class. There are also books, research, and the biggest thing is taking lots and lots of pictures.”

Photography is not as simple as it seems. Pushing the button and actually capturing the image is the easy part, but the steps that are before and after, really makes a good picture.

“Anybody can just pick up a camera and take a picture,” Burrows said. “But it takes someone capable of understanding all the settings to be able to really make a good picture.”

Photography is something that can be carried on throughout a lifetime and become your profession.

“I became interested in photography a few years ago, and I became really fond of it,” senior Austyn Degelmen said. “Photography is more than a hobby to me and someday I hope it will be my job. Photography is where I can create art in the way that I see it.”

Photography covers a wide range of subjects from sports to pictures of people at an event anything can be done with photography.

“[I like to shoot] Outdoor, landscapes getting away where I don’t have to worry about anything else but the outdoors,” Burrows said. “For me personally, finding photography was the moment in high school when I really figured out who I was and what was mine.”

Davis believes photography is an art form that allows for people to express themselves and have the ability to create any image they choose and relate any message to their audience.

“It’s just a way that I can express myself and not feel judged,” Davis said. “I have fun figuring out different shots and angles and coming up with new creative themes for my pictures. It can be a cool thing to do with my friends because I have them be my models.”

Davis has also been interested in photography and aspired to be something better.

“I have always just loved taking pictures ever since I was little. I would see pictures in magazines and think, “I want to do that. I want people to open a magazine and see MY pictures,” Davis said. “Hopefully it is going to be my career, I am going to a photography college, I got accepted into Brooks which is like the number one photography school.”

Taking a photography based class or just playing around with a camera are good ways to learn the skills of photography.

“I took the photography class here last year, but then over the summer I kinda self taught myself and just learned all about the camera and what looks cool and what doesn’t,” Hoover said.

Photography is an art form that may not require the skill of a paintbrush or pen, but it is not as simple as pushing a button. Photography skills take time to develop, but it is something that has the potential to make a huge impact because everyone now has the capability to capture a moment of history forever.

“Photography is my way of expressing my views through the images I capture,” Burrows said. “Anything can be done with photography, you just have to create it.”