Amongst the diverse variety of clubs in West High, Photography Club is undoubtedly one of the most popular ones. Many West students share a passion for photography, and Photography Club supplements the students’ passions through steadily advancing their photo-taking skills.
Photography Club President Evangeline Ojo (11) wanted to boost the members from beginner to advanced level, hoping to “work our way up there” through “lots of practice by going on the outings.” Along with consistent practice, implementing lessons from each meeting is an important step to advancing photo quality. Vice President Chloe Williams (11) described the “Rule of Thirds,” one of the key introductory lessons: “When you have a grid on your phone and you keep the focus of an image on three parts of [the screen].” Particularly useful for drawing the viewer’s eye to a designated area, the Rule of Thirds serves to ensure visual balance and spotlight the photo’s main focal point.
Photography Club also aims to encapsulate universal themes with the lens of their cameras. Nature holds countless admirable scenes, and Photography Club encourages members to immortalize its glory. “There are millions of different themes that photography can envelop,” Williams expressed.
The members are also encouraged to take photos through different mediums. Coordinator Enrique De La Cruz (11) revealed that joiners “are encouraged to bring cameras [to outings]” and practice skills such as “filtering the quality, mirroring the image, and zooming into the optimum range.”
Constantly running to keep the members engaged, Photography Club is rarely monotonous. An extensive club with nearly seventy student members, Photography Club expands its horizons by teaching new skills during monthly meetings. The club also hopes to publicize their works and expose themselves to different types of photography by cooperating with other student-run clubs.
Students hesitating to join might perceive Photography Club as humdrum and repetitive. However, Cruz clarified how the club is about “flexibility and using different sorts of devices to capture the moment,” making Photography Club interesting and each meeting vivid and memorable.
