Forget those expensive professional photographers, Monarch photo students are well on their way to becoming experts.  For the second year, students in levels two and above had the opportunity to work with models and professional lights in a portrait studio located in a room off of the art room.

                Jenna Kendall was a Photo One student last year, and her mother works for a company that sells lights.  Monarch photography teacher, Claudia LaStella, was able to purchase an entire set of professional lights at half-price.  –

                “The value of [the project] is learning to deal with lights, learning to deal with models in a much stricter sense than ‘here is my friend posed,’ and seeing what different lights do,” LaStella said.

                The class learned about different lighting methods and got tips on posing models from professional photographer Rick Christie.  From there, they brainstormed ideas, enlisted classmates or friends as models and found props. 

                This was a favorite project for senior Blakely Farrow.

                “When I was little I had a bunch of ballerina pictures and paintings in my room and I thought it would be cool to remake them.  I haven’t shot people a lot so it’ll be a chance to do something different,” Farrow said.

                Junior Lilly Moody found thinking of creative models and coming up with ideas difficult, but she felt the project improved her skills.

                “It taught me about using lighting and how to look at things and find the beauty in them.  I think [my pictures] will turn out really well unless I screw up the developing process,” Moody said. 

                LaStella plans to continue to include this project in the class’ curriculum.

                “It has been very successful, and I have high hopes for this semester’s pictures,” LaStella said.

                Pictures from the portrait studio will be displayed around the school the week of December

15^th.