Ms. Keller always brings a passion for photography to Harrison High School where she serves as a dedicated educator and photographer. Her class is a creative hub in our school for students such as sophomore Katelyn Funk, who says she was “never interested in any art class until I took photography with Ms. Keller!” This is proof that not favoring standard art classes doesn’t mean you dislike all forms of art!
Ms. Keller has known she loved photography since she was in high school. In her younger years, Keller attended a Catholic Elementary School with no art classes, so she didn’t have an opportunity to discover her passion. Later, in high school, there were only two art teachers, but two was enough; that was the point where she fell in love with art. A few years later, she took film photography in college.
Now, as an art teacher herself, Keller puts a great deal of effort in making sure her students are able to succeed, both in class and in life.
In photography class, Keller doesn’t dive straight into camera usage; she starts by teaching students the various parts and functions of the cameras. In class, there are several different types of assignments. At the beginning of the semester, Ms. Keller starts with worksheets focused on learning about the class cameras. Once students are comfortable using the cameras and taking pictures, she introduces Photoshop. Photoshop assignments consist of filter usage, editing, and color-modifying. For the final project, students choose a specific topic to photograph and tell a story through the photos we took.
Students tend to favor Ms. Keller’s photography class because of how engaging it is. One student mentioned, “I got to learn more about the world of photography and how to use a camera,” which shows how she helps students expand their skills. Senior Chloe Eiler shares, “She makes fun prompts for our photos,” highlighting her creative approach to assignments. Ultimately, Ms. Keller’s ability to combine her knowledge about cameras with enjoyable, hands-on activities is really great.
Ms. Keller’s dedication to both photography and teaching has made her class an inspiring and essential part of our school. Her approach goes beyond simply teaching the technical aspects of cameras; it also encourages students to be more creative.
