Photography by Mikey Leaf ’25, JJ Mitchell ’24 and Jonathan Sisson ’24

Erin Stelling’s Photography I students were exploring the qualities and direction of light and how it can be used to effect when the weather presented them with a great opportunity.

“As it is ever-changing, students become acutely aware of the light present in a scene or on a subject. On this particular morning, the fog had transformed our campus into a curious and mysterious place,” Stelling remembered. “They loaded their film and went out immediately to capture these images, knowing that in an instant the light can completely change.”

Here, three of Stelling’s students share their photos, which they developed themselves in the Fine Arts Center’s darkroom.

“Rose from the depths, Edgar the Raven”
This piece was a blast to shoot. It was a foggy morning, which is prime for this kind of photography. It showcases the famous Edgar the Raven at the bell tower, which is one of the most famous structures on campus, if not the most well-known. Taking this photo made me see the statue through another lens or perspective.

Untitled
Depicting hope and light in a time of darkness is what’s important to me when creating art. So when I take pictures, I show the darkness while also showing a glimpse of beauty in the little light that life provides.

Foggy Future
I really enjoyed Photography I because I was able to learn how different pictures can be created. Due to differing apertures and shutter speeds, as well as how sunny it is during the day, pictures can have different aspects, like a brighter or darker background, based on the amount of light let in. It was fun starting the class with paint-can pinhole cameras, because it’s very interesting how a paint can is able to create good-looking photos. The final project involved everyone picking a specific photographer and basing their work on that photographer. I chose to do Harry Callahan and created some great pictures of rustic areas and trees that were based on his work.