Photography sparks creativity at St. John the Baptist

Friday, Dec. 12, 2014

By Nevah Stevenson

Special to the Intermountain Catholic

DRAPER — They scatter like toddlers set loose on a playground. Moments later they hover, one above a patch of grass, another over a particularly fetching Black-eyed Susan. Still another is a finger’s length away from a brick wall. They aim and shoot, fascinated by the image now captured inside the small digital camera anchored in their hands. And then they are off again, faces eager, eyes darting, searching the landscape for the next perfect subject. 

This is the excitement that fuels the photography students at Saint John the Baptist Catholic Middle School. The class is one of the most popular courses offered at the 7th and 8th grade levels.  

Photography ignites creativity. Instructor Cole Hights, who also teaches physical education and hip hop at the school, wants students to see more than just grass and flowers when they look through the lens. Words on a page or candy in its wrapper can literally stop someone in their tracks, if photographed at that arresting angle that only the photographer sees. Hights asks students to think about their photo before they lift the camera. That process seems to foster pride in the work and ownership of something unique. Recent assignments included a study in close-up images and creating anti-bullying and drug awareness posters using live subjects.  

At a time when most ’tweens and young teens prefer to blend in, this course invites individualism. Students are learning to take the time to visualize the images they think worthy of preservation. In an age of immediacy and on-line socialization, a bit of reflection behind the lens offers students time to actually digest what they see. And a blade of grass, upon close inspection, can be a beautiful sight to behold.