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Glen Ridge High debuts honors darkroom photography class; students demonstrate process at board meeting
Summary
Teacher Alyssa Herrera and students showcased a new honors darkroom (black-and-white) course that feeds into the AP 2-D Art and Design portfolio. Students described photograms, 35mm film processing and printmaking; the program emphasizes hands-on processes alongside digital coursework.
Alyssa Herrera, a visual arts teacher at Glen Ridge High School, and a group of students presented the school—s new honors darkroom photography course to the Glen Ridge Public School District board. Herrera described the course sequence that leads from introductory digital photography through a half-year honors darkroom course and culminates in the yearlong AP 2-D Art and Design portfolio.
The darkroom course uses black-and-white processes and 35 mm film. Herrera said the honors darkroom is a half-year course that teaches students camera skills, film processing and traditional printmaking. The AP 2-D Art and Design course is yearlong and requires students to submit a portfolio of 15 to 20 works to the College Board in May.
Students demonstrated techniques and discussed recent projects. Ava described her photogram: "For my photogram, my message was to portray the journey of seeds," she said, explaining she arranged objects on photographic paper and exposed them to bright light for about five to 10 seconds to create a black-and-white image. Jace discussed an object-series project that featured four images of a Ford truck near the high school. Kira walked the board through the darkroom steps: loading film onto reels in a changing bag, using developer, stop and fixer chemicals, and making test prints.
Herrera emphasized the course—s educational goals: giving students hands-on experience with traditional processes that are not provided by digital-only classes, and helping students assemble work for AP portfolios and further study. Students and Herrera highlighted safety procedures (tongs, separate chemical buckets, gloves) and that the honors class focuses on black-and-white darkroom technique only.
Board members and audience members watched a short demonstration of loading film into a reel and placing it in a light-proof tank; Herrera said the class practices the process repeatedly so students build speed and confidence. The board received the demonstration as part of the district—s visual and performing arts report and thanked the students for the presentation.
