Kallie Cheves has led the photography program for the past two years, helping students explore various styles and techniques.

For 18 years, the photography program has taught students how to capture compelling images, from surreal levitation photography to cinematic storytelling. Established in 2008, the program provides a strong foundation in technical skills, artistic expression, and visual literacy. Students not only learn how to use a camera, but also how to enhance their images through editing software like Photoshop. Additionally, photography students explore a variety of different styles and techniques, each offering unique, creative possibilities.

“My favorite style of photography I have learned this year was levitation photography because it lets me take ordinary photos of people and turn them into extreme photos of them doing cool things, like making it look like they are flying,” sophomore Gabriel O’Brien said.

While levitation photography creates surreal effects, another popular technique among students is double-exposure photography.

“Double-exposure photography is my favorite type of photography style I have learned this year because it lets me creatively take two old pictures and create a completely new image that can have an entirely different meaning,” sophomore Clayton Johnson said.

Cheves also has her own preferred style: narrative tableau photography.

“My favorite style of photography is something called narrative tableau photography, which is when you are creating a story with props, and actors, and stage, and everything like that,” photography teacher Cheves said.

For Cheves, the most rewarding part of teaching is watching students master the technical aspects of photography and then infuse their creativity into their work. 

“I love seeing students really learn all the technical aspects of [photography], then adding in their own voice to create their own photos and their own artworks,” Cheves said. 

Beyond technical skills, Cheves hopes students leave the class with a deeper appreciation for visual storytelling and connection. 

“I really want students to learn more about empathy and being able to connect with other people’s artwork, so just learning those visual literacy skills, like being able to read an image, I think is going to help them be able to read a scene and [be] able to connect with others more easily,” Cheves said.