When Dawnley Raíces applied for a PEF Teacher Grant, she had a clear goal to rebuild the photography program at Eliot Arts Magnet after losing precious supplies in the Eaton Fire. What she ended up with was something bigger than replacement equipment. It was a classroom transformed by student ownership as students fully explored the whole process of photography from gear to their first shots.
To try out a new method of purchasing gear for the class, Raíces consulted with her students and tasked them with the responsibility of deciding what gear they needed and how the money should be spent. Students researched equipment, hunted for deals, and had class discussions between themselves to make a case on why certain pieces should be bought. When the supplies arrived, every piece was thoroughly used and loved by the students who had so diligently researched all of their equipment.
After creating their new toolbox of photography gear, students dove in. They learned to work with new complex lenses, figuring out the art of lighting, staging backgrounds, and strengthening their eye for composition. Raíces’s students also developed their own vocabulary for the tools they were using, invented names for filters and modifiers that became a shared language that brought the class together. The Shimmy Shimmy filter, Fly Eye filter, and Rainbow light were just a few of the new terms developed by the class. These new techniques and gear were used in many projects throughout the school year, including crafting a classroom yearbook and photographing all the headshots for Eliot’s drama department.
One student especially wanted to connect with Eliot’s sister campus, Altadena Arts Magnet, to bring the community together. With his camera, he attended Altadena’s spring musical Alice in Wonderland to document it and provide photos for the families attending.
Raíces is excited to use this new equipment to expand her students’ love of photography even further. In the coming years, she hopes to host more photo galleries where students can display their works.
