After years of relying on the same old, outdated equipment, the photography program at CHS has added a wealth of new photography materials for the 2014-15 school year. The class modernized in everything from a new pencil sharpener to new cameras, creating an exciting new environment for those in the program.

The program added several new film cameras, two new digital cameras, a light meter, a new fixed-lighting kit, a new cloth backdrop setup for the studio and many new dark room materials. The class also got new flash drives, larger memory cards and a flash kit, and they also replaced a camera that broke last year.

“I’m excited,” Photography teacher Amy Gilbert said. “All the new equipment is great quality. The students are learning with professional-quality materials. I think it will help get them more interested in the class and help them see what working in photography is like.”

According to Gilbert, the new equipment was acquired through generous donations from the PTSA and the CHS community. While the Photography student lab fee did increase from $20 to $25 in the last two years, Gilbert says that lab fee money did not pay for any of the new equipment.

“What happened was really a lucky conversion,” Gilbert said. “The PTSA asked us to make a wish list last year, and fortunately, they said yes to everything we asked for.”

The new equipment was also made possible by donations to the art department’s “Patron of the Arts” fund, a yearly fund made up of financial contributions from the CHS community to help the department pay for everything it needs for the school year.

Thanks to the new and improved equipment, photography students will be able to participate in the class in ways that would have been impossible in previous years.

“When I first got to experience the new equipment,  I truly was able to appreciate the great quality and abilities of the new items made available to us,” senior Photography student Alex Perlman said. “We will now be able to take higher resolution shots and take more professional  lighting shots. Plus, it’s great to finally have a pencil sharpener.”

The new equipment will also benefit students who might want to make a career out of photography

“I think that by using the new equipment, if photo students plan on a career in photography, it’ll be easier for them to use the professional equipment because it’s similar to the one they’re using now,” said sophomore Bill Wu, Photography student and President of the CHS Photo Club.

While the class experience has definitely improved with the addition of all the new, modern equipment, Gilbert hopes to continue to try to keep the class up-to-date with the latest materials and ideas from the industry.

“I want to keep it as current to the industry standard as feasible,” Gilbert said. “I want to make it easier for the students to learn about photography and do more fun and creative projects.”