“Anyone can take a picture but not everybody can create a photograph.” So goes the philosophy of Ryan Bowden, Menlo’s new photography teacher, who has spent the school year revamping the photography curriculum. Bowden took over the Fundamentals of Photography and Advanced Photography classes, and created a new Advanced Topics in Photography (H): Portfolio class that will be offered next year. His intention is to cultivate a space where students become legitimate photographers, rather than mere picture-takers. “I want photography [class] to be a place where you’re challenged, but still have fun,” Bowden said.
Historically, the photography program at Menlo had the reputation of being more of a free period than a legitimate class. Junior Sophie Housser, who participated in the photography program both before and after Bowden’s arrival, has noticed significant changes to the program since Bowden started teaching — most notably the increase in difficulty and engagement. “I feel like it’s actually a class now and not just free time to shoot [photos],” Housser said.
According to Housser, Menlo’s photography classes used to involve taking pictures on the Menlo campus with little instruction in previous years. Now, however, students are spending more time learning how to properly use photography equipment, manipulate lighting and edit their photos. After learning these techniques, Housser views photography as more of an art form than just an activity.
According to Bowden, students are assigned projects that are meant to foster creativity and critical thinking. Currently, students are working on a grab bag assignment where they have to photograph a randomly selected everyday object in twelve distinct ways.
Head of the Creative Arts Department Leo Kitajima Geefay said that he is proud of Bowden’s efforts to enhance the artistic integrity of each photography class. Kitajima laments the stigma that arts classes are simply a means of meeting graduation requirements and involve little student engagement. To him, an art class at Menlo shouldn’t waste a student’s time, but rather be a life changing experience that teaches them to view the world in a new way.
Bowden believes that learning to take photos is more than a fundamental skill. Photography is also a means of creative expression, which becomes harder to find as an individual gets older. Housser agrees that knowing how to take high quality photos is inherently an important part of life that goes beyond allowing people to express their creativity. “It’s how you document the world and get memories,” Housser said.
